And The Mighty Will Fall
by Divinia Serit
Summary: An unexpected betrayal threatens to destroy the team when private information is leaked causing Red John to change his MO and set his sights on Teresa Lisbon. Prequel to Princess of Tides WARNING for violence/attempted suicide-not graphic NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yay- a new story! I've been so far behind lately, and unfortunately I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update during the next three weeks. I'm photographing a wedding this weekend, and then I start my graduate classes next week and I'm really nervous! I'm sure I'll find some time to write, but I will need to get settled into my new schedule! **

**This story will deal with the events described in my one shot Princess of Tides. I'll be exploring the events before the scene that takes place in that story. Needless to say, this will not be an extremely happy story. There will be lots of violence and angst, so I'll probably the rating to M in the next chapter or so. It's Lisbon-centric although Jello will be implied.**

**I have a basic story outline, but I'm not a hundred percent on how closely I'll follow it. I do consider this AU, although it will most likely follow first season cannon. There shouldn't be any spoilers, but I have taken liberties with the characters and situations! Feel free to offer suggestions on what you'd like to see happen. **

**This chapter's dedicated to Ebony10 and Innoxia23 who have been waiting so patiently for my next story! All mistakes are mine, and I own nothing. In fact, I just took out a new student loan…**

_And The Mighty Will Fall_

_By: Divinia Serit_

Chapter 1

Teresa Lisbon absentmindedly chewed on the cap of her pen as she studied the open case files in front of her. The cool plastic soothed her restlessness as she reverted back to a childhood habit that surfaced whenever she felt uneasy. Massaging her temples, she fought the growing headache that threatened to render her useless. She smiled a half smile when she caught a glimpse of Patrick Jane snuggling into the leather sofa in the bullpen. He deserved all the sleep he could get.

They had all been on edge recently. Red John had been quiet recently and she was apprehensive. The killer seemed to feed on attention, and this period of dormancy eluded the profilers. To make matters worse, a new serial killer had surfaced and regulated Red John to the back burner. She could only hope the powers that be knew what they were doing when they shifted attention away from California's Most Wanted and onto Dr. Valentine. Really, the media should not be allowed to name serial killers. How on earth did those people come up with such ridiculous monikers?

"Morning, boss," Grace Van Pelt called as she briskly entered the office and stashed her purse in her desk. Lisbon waved at the young agent who was booting up her computer. Lisbon was pleased with the progress the team's rookie was making. She was becoming more confident and seemed more assured of her place on the team, not to mention it was nice to have another woman on the male dominated third floor of the CBI headquarters.

As soon as Kimball Cho and Wayne Rigsby arrived at their desks, Lisbon proceeded to pass out the newest information on the media-named Dr. Valentine. He had been given his name due to the fact he carved a rudimentary heart on the victim's body, and seemed to target unmarried women in high profile jobs. His most recent victim was a young lawyer who was beginning to make a name for herself in the criminal court. She was only twenty seven.

"Alright," Lisbon started after giving the agents a chance to flip through the files. "What do we know?"

"Our suspect is most likely a middle aged man due to the fact that most of the victims have been tall women that were educated in self-defense. He's well-educated and most likely has a job that allows him to either travel or set his own hours. He most likely suffered a trauma in his childhood and he has a grudge against successful women," Cho filled in. Lisbon nodded and turned to Rigsby. She enjoyed letting her two newest additions offer their opinions. Rigsby gulped as he boss stared him down.

"Umm, we assume that he has a chance to stalk his victims. They seem to vanish in thin air, but we don't know how he's getting to them. All of them have state of the art alarm systems at home and are rarely by themselves while they work. I think we should look into the possibilities of dating services and other potential lures," Rigsby beamed when Lisbon graced him with a smile. It never failed to amaze him just how much he valued the respect of his boss.

"He enjoys pain," Van Pelt added with a sour expression. "The heart is carved with a dull instrument and according to the coroner occurs when the victim is still alive. The ligature marks around their wrists shows us that he bounds his victims, but the cause of death is poison. Their esophagus is destroyed after he forces them to drink chemicals that we're assuming to be drain cleaner."

"Good. Rigsby, Cho- I want you two to head downtown and reentries the job sites. Van Pelt- follow up on the dating services trail. See if any of the women had online profiles or made any romantic purchases 6 months and up. Jane, you're with me," she said as she turned on her heel and strode back to her office to grab her purse and keys. "Keep me posted if you find anything of interest," she called as the team split up.

"You've been quiet today," she said as Jane slid in the passenger seat of her Hyundai Santa Fe. It was a comfortable car with just enough storage room. She needed a bigger car and decided to trade in her little compact sedan. If the new SUV just happened to be the same color as Jane's eyes, well then that was purely coincidence.

"Do you ever have those days when everything feels a little off center?" he asked as he fixed her with a curious stare. Buckling up, she turned and studied him while they sat in the parking lot. His normally carefree expression was pinched. It made him look much older than he really was. She let out a slightly bitter laugh.

"Story of my life, Jane." The corner of his mouth quirked upwards and the two continued to sit in silence for a moment before Jane let out a heavy sigh.

"It's just a feeling," he started. "I'm just waiting…"

"For everything to go to hell?" she supplied and he nodded. "I feel it too," she said as they pulled out of CBI headquarters.

Their normal playful banter seemed stiff and forced today which didn't help Lisbon's mood in the slightest. None of their leads were panning out, and their newest criminal was similar to Red John in the fact that he had left no evidence. Jane was growing more frustrated with the lack of evidence leading to both killers, and an irritable Jane was a force to be reckoned with. They returned to the office a few hours later, and trudged up the steps instead of waiting for the elevator.

She unlocked her office door and started at the sight of a small brown box sitting on her desk. She wiggled the door handle, and was positive she had locked her door before leaving. She eyed the box warily and debated passing it off to the bomb squad. Walking over, she picked up the white envelope that had been hidden from view. Her name was scrawled across in a floating cursive script. She frowned as she tried to place the handwriting. She carefully pulled out a folded piece of paper and slowly opened it.

_My Dear Teresa,_

_I don't like being pushed aside, and I expected more from you. You've provided our mutual friend, Mr. Jane, with valuable guidance and I must say I've been impressed with the growth of his character. He was my best accomplishment, and I do enjoy your presence in his life. You see, most people don't get second chances. They simply don't deserve them, but I was right in granting Mr. Jane one. He is a most worthy opponent, and the game is afoot. I like to fix people, my dear. Help them realize their mistakes and repent from their sins and after careful observation, I have decided to extend my offer to you. You are a most interesting subject, and I think you'll find you're wasting your life. You should have been more thankful for your family, my dear. _

Her blood ran cold at the sight of the bloody smile painted at the bottom of the letter, and she wondered why he was changing his MO. She dropped the paper as if she had been burned and turned to the box as fear coursed through her. Grabbing a pair of latex gloves that she always kept in her top drawer, she carefully began to pull the tape from the lid. She slowly raised the lid, and peered into the box. She could feel the bile rise in her throat as she stumbled to the trashcan and proceeded to empty her stomach.

Hearing her retch, Jane came running in and took in the situation. Lisbon was shaking as she took a few deep breaths. Her face was ghostly white, but she managed to look him in the eye and motion towards her desk as she regained her composure. His eyes fell on the innocent cardboard box. Looking at the letter, he carefully read it without touching it before glancing into the small package where a human eye was nestled in the middle of a freshly drawn smile. Red John had struck again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Whew! I have a feeling I'm going to be so mean to Lisbon in this story. I hope she'll forgive me! Again, sorry for the cliffhangers, but it may happen a lot in this story. To be on the safe side, I can't promise another update till Sunday, but I'll try to sneak one in earlier.**

**I enjoyed all the reviews! It was interesting to see where everyone thought I was headed, and we'll see who's right and who's wrong =) Mwahahahahaha, I feel so evil! A big thank you to the following who reviewed the last chapter: MYGOLDENGLOW, CURELESS, KATHIANN, PHEONIXWYTCH, HAZMATT, ARCADYA, SHOPPINGLUVA, JADESTAR, TROMANA, KHALEK, JELLOFANATIC, PENELOPELOUISE, WILDDAISIES, and EBONY. I really appreciate all the encouragement!**

**A special shout out to PENELOPE LOUISE who has been reading my older stories and has taken the time to review every chapter! I love even just hearing you like it! Okay, I'm shutting up! Y'all enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Teresa Lisbon drew in a shaky breath as she rose to her feet. She waved off Jane's concerned gaze as he passed her the water bottle she kept on her desk. Rinsing her mouth, she steadied herself and let the agent in her take over when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Jane was silent as he watched the sheen of vulnerability fade from her eyes to be replaced with steely determination.

"Cho, go get Minelli and tell him it's urgent. Rigsby, go get the crime scene guys from down stairs, and Van Pelt, check the security feeds from the past two hours. I want to know where this box came from." The tone of her voice made them all follow her orders without question after taking a peek inside Lisbon's relatively normal looking office. Only the expressions of Lisbon and Jane hinted that something was very wrong.

Lisbon whipped out her phone and dialed a number from memory as she paced restlessly. Jane's eyes followed her every movement and he catalogued every moment of stiffness that hinted at the anxiety looming beneath her surface. She let out a soft growl as she pulled the phone away from her ear and dialed another number.

"Damn it!" she yelled and Jane could tell she was tempted to throw the offending piece of technology across the room. Van Pelt looked up from her computer and watched her boss for a split second before her eyes flickered to Jane. At that moment, Minelli entered the bullpen with Rigsby and Cho at his heels.

"CSI techs are on their way, boss," Rigsby answered.

"Where's the fire, Lisbon?" Minelli gruffly asked as he took in the appearance of his top agent and her consultant. It took something big to rattle those two, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Red John contacted me," Lisbon answered dully as she carefully lead Minelli into her office. Leaving the door open, she turned to look at Van Pelt. "I'm going to read the note aloud, write what I say word for word," she ordered the younger agent. The red head nodded as she opened up a fresh document and listened to her boss steadily read the serial killer's words.

Minelli swore under his breath when he caught a glimpse of the box and its contents and the others remained silent as seconds ticked by on the large clock hanging by the door. Lisbon ran a hand through her hair, and met her boss' gaze.

"Neither of my brothers are answering their phones," she started, her voice wavering slightly. "I'd like permission to get both families in Witness Protection as soon as possible."

"Done," Minelli said without hesitation as the crime scene guys swept in and motioned everyone out of the office. The CBI director practically ran back to his office to give his urgent orders. Clutching her water bottle as if her life depended on it, Lisbon let Jane lead her to the couch when her phone rang startling them all.

"Lisbon," she said in a firm tone. Her expression tightened and she answered with clipped responses. "Alright, we'll be there in twenty." Hanging up, she turned to look at her team. Now was not the time to get emotional she thought, as she compartmentalized the events of the last hour. Now, she needed to do her job.

"Dr. Valentine has left us his newest victim," she said as she pulled her keys out of her pocket. "We're needed down at the warehouse district ASAP." She left with the still silent Jane trailing behind her. The others exchanged glances before following Lisbon and Jane to the cars.

"It's not your fault," Lisbon said softly as they pulled out of the parking lot. Jane rubbed his forehead and turned to face her.

"Red John's after you because of me," he whispered as he leaned his head against the headrest. Lisbon's hands tightened on the steering wheel. Her gaze flickered to Jane's tormented face before returning to the road.

"Jane, I don't need anyone's help in attracting psychotic serial killers. This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. I need you to pull it together, or you might as well stay on your couch." They finished the drive in silence. When they reached their destination, they exited the car determined to tackle the latest crime scene.

"What have we got?" Lisbon asked as the team approached the county sheriff. The man swallowed while he wiped the sweat from his face.

"It's pretty bad in there, ma'am." The sheriff paused before meeting her gaze. "It's a child… a little girl."

Lisbon exchanged a tense look with her team as they entered the warehouse. The scene was clearly visible from the door, and it assaulted the senses. Van Pelt gagged and turned away at the sight of the mangled body.

The girl looked to be in her preteens. Her curly red hair cascaded over her face while hear head hung off the end of a surgical steel table that was centered under a single spotlight. Her dull green eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and bits of rope still clung to her raw wrists. In accordance with the pattern, a rudimentary heart comprised of six slash marks stretched across her naked abdomen.

"Why did he change his pattern?" Rigsby asked softly. Lisbon furrowed her brow as her eyes swept over the scene.

"Something about her is familiar," Lisbon muttered offhandedly. Jane studied her before turning back to the child.

"Maybe something about the girl reminded him of his usual victims. Maybe he's trying to catch the girls before they become powerful and successful. Or maybe he's trying to tell us something. Maybe this one's personal," Jane added while Lisbon nodded.

Pictures were taken and evidence was collected while the CBI team combed the scene looking for anything out of the ordinary. After hours of fruitless search, the team met outside the warehouse. It was easy to see the events of the day were taking a toll on Lisbon. Her responses were more blunt and unenthusiastic and her normally alive expression seemed muted.

The cheerful tones of a cell phone sliced through the air causing tensions to skyrocket. Lisbon shook her head as she pulled out her phone. The team breathed a sigh of relief when one of the crime scene investigators answered before motioning his team to move out. Hanging up the phone, he turned to Lisbon.

"Sorry to run. We got an urgent call to get over to Arbor View Road. A body's been found in apartment 312."

The world was closing in on her. She could feel the blackness edging at her vision. Lisbon tried to open her mouth to speak, but her limbs were frozen and her body refused to cooperate. Suddenly the asphalt was rushing up to meet her, and she was vaguely aware of a man's arms around her as she succumbed to the darkness. She lived in apartment 312.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm super tired, but y'all have been so patient in waiting for another chapter! I'm sorry it's shorter than the others, but I did leave you with such an awful cliffhanger in the last chapter that I really wanted to post something! I hope y'all enjoy this one- we're just getting started, and I'm really enjoying writing this one!**

**Thanks to the following people who reviewed the last chapter. It really means a lot to me! KATHIANN, WILDDAISIES, PHEONIXWYTCH, CURELESS, ARCADYA, TROMANA, JADESTAR, SHOPPINGLUVA, KHALEK, HOUSECALLS, INNOXIA, MYGOLDENGLOW, JELLOFANATIC, TAYTERBUG, EMMABERLIN, and EBONY. Much love to all of y'all!!!!**

Chapter 3

She could barely make out the sound of muffled voices through the fog surrounding her mind. Grasping onto a familiar male voice She fought to pull herself out of the darkness that threatened to hold her down. Her eyes fluttered and she found herself staring at her concerned colleagues while her hear rested in Jane's lap. His hand briefly caressed her forehead as he swept a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. Groaning softly, her tongue darted out of her mouth to moisten her dry lips.

"Boss?" Cho asked while he fiddled with the file in his hand. She blinked slowly and jerked away from the cold pavement and the warmth of Jane's touch.

"What are you all still doing here?" she rasped as she slowly stood up. Swaying slightly, she waved off the helpful hands of her team as she tried to ward off the migraine that had already started pounding as her world continued to spin.

"They got the number wrong," Van Pelt said softly. "It was apartment 132. It was a robbery gone wrong." Lisbon frowned and closed her eyes. Her overly emotional behavior was ridiculous, and she needed to calm down before she was pulled from the case.

"We still have a lot to do now that we're done wasting time," Lisbon snapped as she headed back to the SUV. She stumbled slightly and silently held the keys out for Jane. She was surprised when he failed to mark the moment with sarcastic words. Settling herself into the passenger seat, she dug through the car's numerous compartments before successfully emerging with three small pills that she quickly dry swallowed.

Jane watched her out of the corner of his eye as he followed the other CBI car back to headquarters. He knew she was good at compartmentalizing her emotions, but he never realized she was this good. She was bottling up her emotions and he wasn't sure he was the one to draw her out for obvious reasons. Pot meet kettle. He vowed to talk to Cho whenever they got a spare moment.

Lisbon was back in charge upon arriving at headquarters. With a scowl on her pretty face she turned to her team. Rigsby eyed her warily as if he was waiting for her to spontaneously combust. The new developments in the cases of the two serial killers shook even him up, and his family wasn't even being threatened. He refocused on his boss' face when he realized she had been speaking for several minutes.

"Van Pelt- See what you can find out about our victim. Do whatever you need to do," she said firmly as she waved the younger woman off. "Rigsby- I want you to head back to CSI and see if they've matched any DNA on the eye. I want to be informed the second they find out about anything. Cho-" Lisbon was cut off by the arrival of her boss.

Virgil Minelli looked tired. The two serial killer cases were affecting him and the director of the CBI suddenly looked very old. His lips were pressed together and he ran a hand through his graying hair before stopping in front of Lisbon.

"I need to speak with you," he addressed her as he headed to her office. Lisbon froze as she studied her boss.

"You're pulling me off the case." It was a statement not a question, but anger began to radiate form the small woman glaring in the center of the room. The other agents stood silently, their eyes wide as they watched Lisbon confront Minelli.

"I'm sorry, Teresa. You're too personally involved and there's too much pressure form above to close this one smoothly," he calmly stated as she swept into her office. The door rattled as it was forcefully shut causing the others to cringe.

"This isn't going to go over well," Jane muttered as raised voices could be heard from behind the door. Cho grunted but kept his eyes carefully trained on Lisbon's office. They were startled when the door flew open and Lisbon stormed out.

"Damn it, Lisbon," Minelli called. His face was red as he watched her walk out. "Teresa, just listen to me-" The stairwell door slammed and Teresa Lisbon was gone. Minelli whirled around to find the team staring at him in bewilderment. His eyes fixated on Jane and he studied the consultant for a moment.

"Stay with her," he said gruffly as Jane sprinted down the stair after her. With a sigh, Minelli turned towards the others. "We still haven't been able to establish contact with Ben or Charlie Lisbon. I need you to keep a clear head on this case because I can't afford to give it to a new team. I am placing Lisbon in witness protection whether she likes it or not," he added as he returned to his office. "Cho, you're in charge."

Collapsing into his leather chair, Virgil Minelli buried his face in his hands. This was a disaster. He knew this case had the potential to destroy his best agent and rip her team apart. Peering through his splayed fingers, he caught a glimpse of the note he had received earlier. With a scowl, he shoved it to a corner of his desk in hopes of avoiding the smiling face at the bottom.

_Virgil,_

_May I call you Virgil? I do feel as though we should be on a first name basis seeing as how I plan to decimate your protégé which may result in your resignation. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause in your pension plan. Really, you're not my intended target although I'm enjoying this new game of cat and mouse. It shall be most rewarding…for me, anyway. In order to be fair, I do have to warn you not to remove the lovely Teresa from the case or I will be forced to take drastic measures. She is quite the catch and when working with my dear friend Patrick, she provides the ingredients that were lacking in my game before. I understand your inevitable fatherly concern, but you must push these feelings away and let the game play out. The decision is up to you, my friend. Choose wisely._

He turned to the window and watched Lisbon's car speed out of the parking lot. Clasping his hands together, he could only pray he was making the right decision.


	4. Chapter 4

**Woohoo! Here's Chapter 4 and it's much longer!!!!! I also didn't leave y'all with an evil cliffhanger this time either. This chapter was fun, but I'm not quite sure it came across like I wanted it. I kept rewriting it, and now I've just decided to post it. I think Minelli's going to be a bigger part of it, because I just like his character. The dynamic he throws in is interesting. I apologize if this chapter seems out of character- just chalk it up to the adrenaline. Crazy situations make us all crazy! I also have a feeling this is going to be a lot longer than I originally planned, but I don't think anyone will mind that! HAH!**

**For some reason, my review Replies are not working and my inbox won't let me send messages. I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews in the last chapter! I really appreciate it and I can't believe the response this one is getting! It does wonders for my ego! I like what I write (most of the time), but it still amazes me that other people do too!**

**Anyways, a big thank you to the following: CURELESS, PHOENIXWYTCH, TROMANA, KHALEK, SHOPPINGLUVA, JOCELYN, INNOXIA, JELLOFANATIC, NELLIE, JADESTAR, MYGOLDENGLOW, WILDDAISIES, EMMABERLIN, EBONY10, HAZMAT, and ARCADYA.**

Ch. 4

Teresa Lisbon hurried to her car in a blind rage. How dare he put her in witness protection without her consent. She was an adult and was capable of making her own decisions. With her hidden away, progress would slow on the Dr. Valentine case as well as the case against Red John. It was counterproductive and this was the type of situation she was trained for. They were all wound tightly and she deserved a moment to fall apart. It wouldn't affect her work on the case. She struggled to control her breathing as she felt the sting of hot tears prick at her eyes. She had never given Minelli reason to pull her before, and she had probably just lost her job considering she had just walked out on her boss.

She heard a door slam behind her as she fumbled through her bag for her keys. She could hear them jingling in some crevice of her purse, teasing as they eluded her fingers. With a muttered curse, she dumped out the contents of her purse on the pavement and retrieved the elusive metal. Scraping the rest of her items together, she reached for a tube of lipstick when a foot appeared on top of it. Glaring at the offensive brown loafer that was preventing her from reaching her objective, she transferred her anger to the person it was attached to.

"Get the hell away from me," she threatened as Jane just stood watching her. She slammed her fist into his shin causing his foot to jerk up as he drew in a sharp breath. Grabbing her lipstick she stuffed it into her purse before reaching for the car handle only to find a slightly annoyed consultant blocking the door.

"I'm driving," he said sternly and held out his hand. They stared at each other for several minutes before Lisbon handed over her keys with a huff. Jane watched as she practically sulked, but he knew she would regret it if she got behind the wheel tonight. Her emotions were already too high strung and she wasn't thinking clearly. Once the adrenaline rush wore off she'd be embarrassed about her behavior. He just had to get her home first.

"Oh god," she muttered while she covered her face with her hands. They had driven several miles in complete silence and Lisbon had started to come down from her emotional high. "What have I done?"

"You reacted like any normal person would do," Jane replied. Throwing her a sideways glance, he continued to reassure her. "The same thing happened to me after Red John. It's normal to be furious when you feel so out of control."

"When did you get to be so wise?" she grumbled as she leaned her head against the cool window. Even as a child, she had always enjoyed watching the scenery fly by.

"I learned from experience. It comes with age," he said with a small smile as he pulled up to her gated apartment complex while she cracked a grin. The gate slowly creaked open, and they soon pulled in to a nearby parking spot. Shutting the door, she was surprised to see Jane standing directly behind her holding a small duffel bag. She raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said. She opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself with a shrug.

"Where did the bag come from?" she asked as she started towards the sidewalk.

"I stuck it in your car earlier. It's always good to have for emergencies!" She rolled her eyes at his cheerfulness as he practically bounced up the steps. Setting the bag down by the door, he held out her keys. Snatching them out of his hand she unlocked the door and paused.

"I left my purse in the car," she said with a sigh as she turned. Once again, Jane was right behind her and the pair made their way back down the steps. She wondered how long he was going to keep up the shadow act. The man was like a jack russell. Once he had a hold of something, he wasn't going to let go. She smiled at the thought of Jane running around in circles making high pitched yipping noises. Unlocking the car, she could hear her phone ringing. She pulled out her purse and groaned when her cell phone hit the ground.

"You sure are klutzy today, my dear," Jane commented as he watched her drop to her knees and reach for her phone which was still ringing. He wasn't going to complain too much. The view wasn't all that bad. He frowned when she failed to respond.

"Lisbon?" She turned her head towards him and their eyes locked.

"Jane, run!" she cried as she scrambled to her feet. She could feel the rough pavement tearing at her hands and she propelled herself forward. Jane looked confused as he watched her dart straight towards him and was surprised when he felt her tiny body impact against his own. Her momentum sent them both to the ground as a large explosion echoed across the parking lot. He shivered in spite of the heat he felt rushing around them.

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Virgil Minelli squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration as he hung up the phone. The media was clamoring for information about the latest victim of the Valentine serial killer and to top it off Red John wasn't thrilled with the attention being shown to the new criminal and was determined to take it out on the woman he thought of as a daughter.

He trusted Jane to watch over her until he could get her out of state. He wouldn't often make such a drastic decision but she was too valuable to the department and somehow Red John was getting stronger. He knew it would kill her to not be involved in the case, but he refused to let the bastard walk on a technicality brought up by the defense. He just hoped he could get Teresa Lisbon out of town before the serial killer caught wind of his decision. He grimaced when his secretary stuck her head in the door.

"I thought I told you no interruptions," he said grumpily as he stared the young woman down. The girl looked nervous as she tried to find her voice.

"I think this one is important," she started. "He's called several times and claims to be a personal friend of yours and Mr. Jane." She looked around nervously before meeting her boss' gaze. "He knows things," she whispered. Minelli felt an icy cold feeling of dread flow through him as he picked up his phone and motioned for the girl to close his door.

"Virgil Minelli," he said as he hit the blinking line one button. He was greeted with silence until he heard a low chuckle.

"I'm impressed you had the courage to defy my orders," the strange voice rasped. "Next time, I won't miss."

The line went dead, and Minelli processed the message before leaping to his feet. Other agents stared curiously as the director ran through the halls with a cell phone pressed to his ear. Whispers had already begun to circulate about the Serious Crimes Unit's recent threats. Cho looked up in surprise when Minelli burst into the room.

"Grab your things. I just got a message from Red John and Lisbon's not answering," the director frantically said. "I'm coming with you," Minelli added as the team rushed to the SUV.

"This is turning into a nightmare," Rigsby muttered as they peeled out of the parking lot with Minelli barking orders into his phone the entire time. Less than five minutes later, they could see a cloud of smoke rising from Lisbon's apartment complex.

"Oh my God," Van Pelt whispered as she catalogued the number of fire trucks and police cars that had already arrived. They drove through the open gates and caught a glimpse of yellow police tape fluttering in the wind. A large group of people had already gathered outside and were craning their necks toward a waiting ambulance. The piled out of the SUV and flashed their badges granting instant access. A collective sigh of relief was exhaled as the spotted their colleagues.

"Welcome to the party," Jane said with a forced smile. A butterfly bandage covered a small gash on his cheek and his wrist was wrapped in an ace bandage. Lisbon was lying on her stomach arguing with the paramedic who seemed to be removing small shards of glass from her back. She drew in a sharp breath and glared at the man behind her. Thankfully, the paramedic seemed immune to the agent's glare.

"What happened?" Van Pelt asked as she took in their disheveled appearance. Lisbon looked slightly worse for wear.

"I'm getting tired of people destroying my car," she murmured with a pointed look towards Jane. "Car bomb," she rephrased.

"He's playing with us. He could have detonated it at anytime, but chose to do so when we could get far enough away," Jane added. "I just don't understand why."

Rigsby headed over to look at the bomb fragments while Cho and Van Pelt started to canvas the neighborhood to see if anyone had seen anything strange. Minelli stood, silent and immobilized as he inventoried Lisbon's injuries.

"It's my fault, Lisbon," Minelli said shakily. "I withheld information from you." He looked away when she turned the intensity of her green eyed gaze on him. "Red John contacted me earlier and warned me not to remove you from the case or he would take drastic measures."

"I'm sure he would have done something either way," Lisbon added softly. She could feel the guilt pouring off her boss in waves. For the first time in her life, she had caught him in a distraught moment and it scared her. Minelli was her mentor. He was always strong in tough situations and always conducted himself professionally. This sort of thing just didn't happen.

"Anyways, I hate to be dictated to by a serial killer, but he seems to be one step ahead of us," Minelli said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm back on the case?" she asked.

"You're back on," he said with a small smile.

"On one condition," Jane broke in. Lisbon and Minelli turned to the consultant. Jane almost laughed at their similar expressions of mixed annoyance and interest. "I want you to talk to someone. You can't keep all this bottled up inside, and I believe it will help the case." Minelli stared thoughtfully for a few moments before nodding.

"I do think that would be a good idea. I can bring in the department psychologist." Lisbon glared at the two men standing before her as the paramedic started to bandage her back.

"I'll agree if the whole team sees the shrink too," she grumbled as she rested her head on her arms. She could argue more later. Right now, she just wanted them to finish so she could sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay- another chapter! Well, I had my first class this morning actually and it's crazy easy for graduate level. Then again, I went to a prestigious private school for undergrad (yay scholarships!) and now I'm at a public school. It's mostly online and for some strange reason it ends in October…. So odd! Anyways, I'm relieved, and I decided to write a new chapter now that my nerves are settled!**

**This is kind of an odd chapter, but I needed to introduce Charlie and finish the aftermath of the car bomb. It also made me a little teary eyed. I love Charlie! This story has a lot of action, but I don't want to dilute it by having nonstop explosions and violence (as fun as that sounds!) At the moment- I don't have any major character deaths planned so don't worry! Things will get bad, but not THAT bad!**

**Again, I'm thrilled with the response for the last chapter! I'm so excited that everyone's enjoying it! We'll meet the psychologist in the next chapter-finally what my story summary is actually about = ) Hahahahaha! I got distracted! Thanks to the following people for their wonderful reviews: CURELESS, PHOENIXWYTCH, TROMANA, KHALEK, SHOPPINGLUVA, JOCELYN, INNOXIA, JELLOFANATIC, NELLIE, YASMINBANU, JADESTAR, MYGOLDENGLOW, WILDDAISIES, HAZMAT, and ARCADYA. I'll be responding to your reviews tonight!!!!**

Ch. 5

"I'm not going to break!" Lisbon exclaimed as she was ushered into the bullpen. To the dismay of her colleagues, she had refused to go to the hospital and insisted that the paramedics had done enough. Her tetanus shot was current and she was determined to get back to the office. Van Pelt helped her pack a bag with a few necessities and Minelli announced he would pay for a hotel but it would be a few hours before he could clear it with another team. Her apartment was being searched as a precaution. No one was taking any chances.

She grumbled a few choice expletives as she was led to the couch. Jane was never more than a foot away from her since they had arrived. He seemed to think she would disappear if he couldn't physically touch her. Even Cho was hovering at her side. To be honest, she felt like an exhibit at the zoo. Her back was aching, she had a migraine, and she really just wanted to fall onto a nice comfy bed. Stretching out on her stomach, she reached for her cell phone with a wince. The team leapt to their feet but were immobilized with a glare as she flipped through her call log- nothing from Charlie or Ben. She frowned and stared at her team.

"Any new information on either case?" she asked as Jane balled up his jacket for her to use as a pillow. She raised an eyebrow as he handed it to her. Sighing, she rearranged herself and deeply inhaled the scent that was uniquely Patrick Jane. It was oddly comforting.

"No match for the eye. All we know is that it belongs to a male approximately 28 to 29 years old thanks to radiocarbon dating. It was recent because the lab was able to date then lens and that will normally decay after a few days," Cho answered. "It was also green." Lisbon nodded and shifted her gaze to Van Pelt.

"Anything on the girl?"

"Her name is Chloe Carpenter and she had just turned thirteen. She was on a few of those juice commercials a few years back, and recently landed a coveted part on a new children's show. She was abducted after school about a week before we found the body," Van Pelt responded. Lisbon nodded as she mulled over this new information.

"So, he's possibly holding them somewhere," Lisbon thought absentmindedly. "Tomorrow, I want you and Rigsby to check out the school. See if anyone noticed anything."

"They won't," Jane interrupted and Lisbon shot him a glare.

"And why the hell not?" she asked.

"She wasn't abducted from school. Somebody's lying and my guess is on the parents. She was a rising star. Parents keep that kind of possible money making talent under lock and key. She would have been watched too closely for someone to snatch her."

"That may explain why he changed his MO," Rigsby added. Lisbon nodded thoughtfully.

"He's been after successful women, and is now possibly deciding to target younger girls on the verge of success. Did the rape kit come back clean?" Lisbon asked Van Pelt. The younger agent nodded.

"There's been no sign of sexual trauma in any of his victims, including Chloe." They all jumped slightly when Minelli entered the bullpen urgently. His gaze softened when his eyes rested on his senior agent.

"You doing okay, Lisbon?" he asked gruffly.

"Just fine, sir," she reassured. His gaze hardened and Lisbon glanced away. "I'm a little sore and pretty tired."

"The hotel should be ready to go in an hour. The bomb squad just finished checking it, so we should have no surprises. I took the liberty of booking three adjoining rooms since I figured you four wouldn't be leaving her." The team nodded and agreement as Lisbon rolled her eyes and buried her face in Jane's jacket.

"Teresa?" Minelli's voice jolted her from thoughts of overprotective team members as she raised her head. "We've got Charlie and his wife. They're fine and should be calling before they're taken to the safe house. Once there, you won't have any contact with them till this is over." Lisbon nodded.

"And Ben?" Mineeli shook his head.

"No word yet," he replied calmly. "We'll have to put the call on speaker phone, but you'll be able to talk to Charlie for a few minutes before they leave." As if on cue, the phone rang and startled them all. Minelli answered it and spoke with the agent in charge before turning it over to Lisbon.

"Tess?" Lisbon's eyes lit up and a rare smile crossed her face.

"Hey Charlie-boy. Are you and Emma okay?" The team tried not to listen in, but it was hard to feign a lack of interest in the family Lisbon kept hidden. She didn't seem to mind as the team continued to sit with her and listen in.

"I should be asking you that," Charlie answered. It was easy to hear the worry in his voice.

"Don't worry about me-it's nothing worse than the usual," she replied in a soothing tone. There was a pause and Jane wondered if Lisbon's brother was going to push the topic. He was sure Charlie knew more about the situation than he was letting on.

"Any word from Ben?" The tension was palpable as Lisbon sighed.

"Nothing yet," she told her brother in a slightly strained tone. "Apparently he took Jessie and Jeremy on vacation. We'll track them down soon."

"I have no doubt in that," Charlie answered with a chuckle. "Tess…" he dropped off and there was a moment of silence.

"Yeah, Charlie-boy?"

"Just be careful. Emma and I know what this guy's capable of and-" Lisbon cut him off. His frustrated sigh was audible.

"You really should listen when I tell you not to follow my cases," she admonished.

"I'm serious, Tess. I can't lose you too." Lisbon drew in a ragged breath and the others looked away as she closed her eyes.

"I'll be fine. I love you, Charlie. Give Emma my love."

"I love you too, Tess. Give 'em hell," he said before turning the phone back over to another agent. Lisbon buried her face once again in Jane's jacket to hide her silent tears. Cho exchanged a look with Jane while Rigsby and Van Pelt awkwardly began to collect files and other things Lisbon might want from her office.

Later that night, Lisbon was stretched out face down on the hotel bed while Jane sat on the bed next to hers. Van Pelt had helped her gingerly put on some loose pajamas and now she just didn't want to move. Jane had camped out in her room and refused to leave, leaving the other three agents to decide the remaining arrangements. Rigsby had awkwardly offered to stand guard outside for the first shift.

"Van Pelt should really be in here with me," Lisbon muttered. Jane looked at the woman who was sprawled on the bed.

"What was that, my dear?" he asked with a smirk. Lisbon grumpily raised her head, and Jane drew in a sharp breath. She looked quite adorable all rumpled and ready for bed. Of course, he would never tell her that. Sure, he liked to push the boundaries, but he was 100 percent positive that Teresa Lisbon would murder him if he voiced his opinion.

"This is unprofessional. We shouldn't be sharing a room." She dropped her head with a plop on her pillow and Jane stifled a laugh.

"Since when do you care what others think?" Lisbon didn't bother to raise her head this time, but he could still make out some colorful language that was muffled by her pillow. They sat in silence while Lisbon shifted restlessly. It was impossible to get comfortable and she hated sleeping on her stomach.

"Tell me about Charlie," Jane asked suddenly. Lisbon carefully rolled over on her side and studied the man across from her. Jane expected her to brush him off, and was surprised when she started to speak.

"Charlie's my baby brother. He's ten years younger than me and was a surprise for my parents. He was only 4 when mom died, so he never really knew her. He's always been a sweet kid-very responsible. He's a firefighter. He met Emma while volunteering at a community theatre. She's a drama teacher and they were married about a year ago. I could ask for anyone better for him. She's a wonderful girl."

Jane was afraid to interrupt her. He worried that any sudden thought would cause her to clam up and retreat back into herself. He never dreamed she would volunteer so much personal information, but it made him happy that she chose to share it with him. It pulled at a hidden jealousy streak that he had only recently began to notice. When he realized she had been silent for several minutes, he looked over and realized she was sound asleep. He smiled as he let himself stare unabashedly at her while she slept. She was an amazing woman.

"Goodnight, Teresa," he whispered as he let the sound of her steady breathing lull him to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok! Here we go. Now we're starting to get into my original plot that apparently needed a 5 chapter intro! Not a lot happens in this chapter unfortunately, but it does move the plot around. I have class both tomorrow and Wednesday so it may be a few days before I can update. We'll see how much sitting around time I have! For those who've asked, Dr. Lewis will be providing some fun insights throughout most of the chapters coming up. I didn't put a lot in this one, but he does like to hear himself think! hahahaha**

**I forgot to put a disclaimer, I think! I don't own The Mentalist, but I did create the characters of Dr. Valentine, Dr. Lewis, Charlie & his family, and Ben & his family. Oh the insanity!**

**A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I love you guys and the feedback has been amazing! NELLIE, TAYTERBUG, SHOPPINGLUVA, WILDDAISIES, EMMABERLIN, HAZMAT, EBONY, ELODIEWOLFE, ARCADYA, TROMANA, JOCELYN, KHALEK, CURELESS, INNOXIA, KATHIANN, and JADESTAR. Big hug!!!!!!! Also a big thanks to those who've read a Slip of the Tongue...hahahah! I am hoping to think of more for that one =)**

Ch. 6

The next morning Lisbon opened her eyes and winced at the amount of sunlight streaming through the window. Closing them tightly, she was tempted to pull the covers over her head when she hear the blinds close with a whoosh. Slowly cracking one eye open, she saw Jane peering back at her with a concerned expression.

"Lisbon?" he asked softly. She groaned at the noise, but carefully sat up. Jane left the room and quickly returned with a wet washcloth. Pressing it to her forehead, she hummed her approval and replaced his hand with her own.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "I think it's a bad reaction to the pain medication considering last night was a blur."

Jane felt like someone had punched him in the gut. She remembered nothing? He thought he had reached a part of her and she had finally started to trust him enough to open up. His fist subconsciously tightened when he realized the moment was only a product of prescription medication. Jane frowned. Why did he care? Her admission shouldn't bother him so much. She was just his boss- she could never be anything more. His shoulders slumped. Who was he kidding? The petite brunette had already weaseled her way into his life, and they would be forever intertwined- caught in a sadistic game of push and pull.

"Jane?" He heard her quietly call out. He turned to face her and noticed her confused look. His carefree mask slipped back in place and he smiled reassuringly. Her eyes narrowed and he knew that even in her unwell state, she knew something was wrong. He knew she wouldn't push it though. That was the difference between them, and he would always pull away.

Van Pelt entered the room with a sunny smile and Jane left to go analyze the breakfast buffet. He sat down in an overstuffed armchair with a pastry on his lap and a cup of tea in his hand. Lost in his thoughts, he never noticed when the rest of the team escorted Lisbon to the hotel lobby. Balling up the half-eaten pastry in a napkin, he threw it away as they headed out the door.

When they arrived at the office, Virgil Minelli was waiting in the bullpen. A tall, lanky man was standing beside him. His glasses had slipped down his nose giving him the appearance of an absentminded professor. His shoes were scuffed and he smiled in greeting as they walked in.

"I'm sure most of you already know Dr. David Lewis," Minelli announced. "He'll be watching you today and starting tomorrow I've arranged for individual sessions once a week. Please treat him with respect," Minelli added with a pointed look directed at Jane as he left the room.

"Dr. Lewis," Lisbon said as she shook the man's hand.

"Please call me David," he said with an eager smile. Jane felt an unfamiliar prickle of jealousy spread throughout his body. The doctor wasn't bad looking and seemed to be in his early 40's, but there was no way Lisbon would go for that, would she?

"Don't mind me today. I'm just here to observe you in a team setting so just try and behave like you normally would," the psychologist said as he pulled a chair into a corner. Rigsby and Cho exchanged a look before going about their business. With a small smile, Lisbon turned on her heel and headed to her office. Jane furrowed his brow before following her.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jane asked as he handed her a bottle of water. Lisbon glared at him and turned toward her computer.

"I'm fine. I don't need everyone hovering around me all the time." Jane smiled at her answer. He knew she felt smothered. Heck, he would too, but he knew it was worth it to keep her safe. Pulling up a chair, he silently sat in a corner of her office and watched as she reviewed the current information they had on Dr. Valentine.

David Lewis smiled to himself as he analyzed the people around him. This really was a good group to observe. They were close and had an interesting history. He had already read the agents' files to get a good background and he couldn't wait to dig deeper. He could tell that they would protest, but he wasn't afraid of a challenge.

He noted that Grace Van Pelt was your typical good girl. She sat quietly and minded her own business while completing her work. Occasionally she would glance at him with a small smile before returning to her task. What was more interesting was Wayne Rigsby's reaction. The big agent tensed up when Grace glanced at David. He seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time watching the young woman. David smiled as he made a note. Maybe he could interview them together at some point.

Kimball Cho had an air of mystery about him. He was willing to bet the seemingly stoic agent had quite a myriad of expressions that he kept hidden. Although hard to read, his body language was open and accepting to the other agents and especially Teresa Lisbon. He also noted that Cho and Lisbon had worked together longer than any of the others.

Now Patrick Jane would be fun. He could tell the consultant was not thrilled with his presence and he had been surprised to learn that Jane was the one who made the suggestion first. He was the hardest to read, and always seemed to put up a pleasant front. He knew the man's background and wondered if the consultant would be willing to talk about Red John. It honestly had the makings for a prized publication.

Where could he go with Teresa Lisbon. The senior agent had a particularly tragic past and he was amazed with how she was dealing with the current case. She would be the most interesting subject and he was extremely curious about the nature of her relationship with her consultant. He had no doubt they were being strictly professional, but to a trained observer and body language reader he knew sparks flew between them both. He couldn't wait for the individual sessions.

The rest of the day went relatively smoothly and the team was thankful. Their boss needed to recover-something she wouldn't do willingly. At least if it was a quiet day, she would have to remain still. They were heading back to the hotel later that night, but first they had agreed to go out for dinner. A nice sit-down restaurant with a good selection of wine was needed and for an hour they could put this horrible situation behind them.

Dr. Lewis wished them well and advised that he would be pulling them aside individually starting tomorrow. The team smiled politely and went on their way. Pretending to be relaxed, they were just waiting for the other shoe to drop.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ugh! I just reread chapter six, and my grammar was atrocious! That's what I get for late night writing…Eww! Anyways, I'm sorry about that guys! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. I really like it so far! I apologize for the delay in posting! I got bogged down in deciding how I was going to write this chapter, and then I got distracted by my other story! I normally try to avoid writing two at the same time!**

**As a side note, I mean no disrespect to psychologists or anyone who sees them. I saw one for years due to childhood traumas, and I firmly believe that talking to someone in confidentiality can be a big help. Lewis reminds me of the first psychologist I saw-who was a bit crazy. (I only saw her twice.) So, it may seem stereotypical, I just wanted to make a note of it for my lovely readers!**

**Ch. 7**

Teresa Lisbon pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she headed up to the top floor of CBI headquarters. David Lewis had been working for the CBI for years, but she had never had a reason to meet with him. She tended to avoid psychologists in general. She had her fill of people pretending to help as a child, when in reality, nothing was accomplished except dwelling on bad memories. As she approached the door, it swung open as Grace exited with a smile. She waved at the doctor before smiling at her boss and headed back to the bullpen.

Lisbon was surprised when she entered the office. She wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. The room was tastefully decorated with sleek modern lines. The grays, blacks, and whites contrasted with the few red accessories around the room. There was no stereotypical Freudian couch, but instead two black leather armchairs faced a mahogany desk. Compared to the cheap plywood furniture in her own office, she vaguely wondered why she hadn't pursued a career with a better salary.

"Good afternoon, Teresa! How are you today?" She started at the pleasant voice that interrupted her musings. The man's enthusiasm was contagious and she found herself smiling back at the man.

"I've been better," she answered honestly, surprising herself. Lewis nodded as he flipped through a notebook. Closing it, he shoved it to the side, and studied the woman in front of him. She seemed comfortable, albeit slightly apprehensive. It was barely noticeable, but he could tell that this was a woman who didn't like to be ordered around. She liked being in control.

"I'm not going to ask you to tell me about yourself or any of that other psychological mumbo jumbo," he said as Lisbon raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I've read your file, and I know your history. I'm here to help you. Feel free to use me as a sounding board for any theories, or just feel free to vent about the latest case and I'll make this as easy as possible for you."

"We're stuck at the moment. Both killers seem to be locked in a battle of sorts, and I expect will find another victim soon," she started. Lewis nodded and gestured for her to continue. "Neither leaves a trace behind, but I can't help but feel that something is connecting the two of them. I'm missing something important."

"And that bothers you?"

"Well, yes," she answered with a slightly annoyed look. "It's my job to notice bits and pieces and connect them in order to solve a case."

"I didn't mean it that way," he said with a smile. "Red John has deviated from the pattern and that bothers you. He's given no reason expect the fact that the new serial killer is upstaging him."

"I guess," Lisbon answered with a frown. Lewis nodded and made a note.

"Grace tells me that something about Dr. Valentine's latest victim was familiar to you?"

"I thought so, but it turns out that the girl was an actress. I'm sure I just recognized her from television," Lisbon answered slowly.

"Are you sure? The brain is a powerful tool, and being a police officer I'm sure you have a wonderful capacity for remembering faces. Did it trigger something from your past perhaps?" Lisbon narrowed her eyes, and Lewis knew he had pushed a little to far for the first session. He had to be careful with this one. She would shut herself off in a heartbeat. He realized then that her relaxed manner at the beginning of the session was a careful illusion that even he was unable to see through. Teresa Lisbon was a formidable woman indeed.

"Nothing like that," Lisbon answered shortly while she looked at the clock. I need to leave for a meeting. We'll continue this later in the week," she said as she stood up and walked out. Lewis watched her leave with a smile before turning back to his notebook.

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Jane watched as Lisbon reentered the bullpen with a contemplative look on her face. She was still moving slowly, but she had regained most of her range of motion in her back. He stood up, and made his way to her office and knocked once. She looked up with a frown.

"You never knock," she stated suspiciously. He smiled softly as his eyes wandered over her.

"I just felt like being polite," he teased. She rolled her eyes.

"Should I put it on my calendar? Patrick Jane was polite today…" He grinned and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Let me see your back."

"What?"

"You can probably remove the bandages now," he softly replied. She could feel his breath brush past her ear, and it took all her concentration not to shiver and let her body betray her. He took her silence as an affirmative answer and slowly raised the back of her shirt.

She winced slightly as she leaned forward to rest her head and arms on the desk in front of her. She could feel the cold air sting her skin as he slowly removed the gauze. She sighed softly as the warmth from his fingers soothed her sore skin as he lightly traced the crisscrossed scars. She felt him pause and she knew he noticed scars from long ago-scars she had momentarily forgotten about. She sat up and quickly pulled down her shirt, gasping at the sudden movement.

Jane took a step back and watched her carefully. He knew she would have scars-they were impossible to avoid in her line of work. This was something else. He had seen the faint lines that were decades old-scars no child should have had layered beneath the shallow cuts from the glass. It was like someone had taken a whip to her back. He swallowed- or maybe a belt.

She met his eyes as she turned around, daring him to press the mater further. Meeting her gaze, he reached out and gently brushed his palm across her cheek before walking out of her office. She watched as he turned away, and wasn't sure whether she was thankful that he had dropped the matter or angry that he had left the matter unspoken. Head pounding, she pulled out another pain tablet and swallowed it dry.

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Kimball Cho stood frozen by Van Pelt's desk. From the corner, it was easy to see right into Lisbon's office when she left her door open. He had turned his head in time to witness the moment between his boss and the consultant. He wondered just what exactly Jane had seen. It was always interesting to watch the two of them interact as they each denied something that was completely obvious to everyone else. This time, however, he averted his gaze. He felt like an intruder. Van Pelt looked up at him in confusion and he just shrugged. She turned back to her computer when a young boy walked into the room.

"Umm, I have a delivery for an Agent Lisbon?" he said as he warily glanced around the room. Cho frowned as his eyes locked onto the manila folder in the boy's hands. Lisbon exited her office and leaned in the doorway as she reached for the folder. Every eye was on her as she slowly unsealed the envelope and pulled out several newspaper clippings. Her eyes grew dark and she paled as she clenched the papers in her fist.

"Where did you get this?" she asked the boy. Eyes wide, he just shook his head.

"They don't tell us. People just leave the address when they pay," he stuttered, unable to meet the gaze of the furious woman in front of him. She nodded sharply and turned to Van Pelt.

"See if there are any security cameras. I want to know who sent this to me."

"Yes, boss," Grace answered with a gulp. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Lisbon look this furious. Without another word, she spun on her heel and picked up her phone. Throwing the clippings on her desk, she seethed as the phone rang.

"Jimmy- What the hell is the meaning of this?" she said icily as the others stared at her in surprise.


	8. Chapter 8

**I tried to get this written as quickly as possible since I left y'all with such a crazy cliffhanger! Thanks for trusting me, and I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story! This one's a little intense because things are starting to build. YAY for suspense! **

**I've gotten some questions about how long this is going to be. I'm definitely planning on continuing it a few chapters after Princess of Tides, but I probably won't include that oneshot in this story. I'll leave a note at the top letting y'all know when it would occur. There will be references to it. It took a little bit longer to get where I currently am, so I'm planning on possibly 10 more chapters. That could change though! I don't want to rush through this one!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Ebony10, because I unfortunately won't be able to finish it before she leaves for Japan. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters! I completely forgot to thank y'all last chapter. I fail! Well, y'all enjoy the latest update!!!!**

**Ch. 8**

"Who's Jimmy?" Rigsby asked quietly. Cho just shrugged his shoulders and glanced at Jane. For once, the consultant didn't have an answer. Lisbon's voice carried throughout the room and they listened in surprise. Jane frowned as he tried to make sense of the one-sided conversation they were hearing. Although Lisbon's back was to the door, he could see the tension radiating from her body.

"Jim, for god's sake we were rookies together! Who did you tell?" There was a moment's pause as Lisbon paced in front of her desk. "Have you been drinking? Don't blame this on me! I kept your promise…" She leaned against the desk and picked up the clippings. "Damn it, Jimmy! Someone's let it out and it wasn't me." She swore as she slammed the phone onto her desk. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at the paper in her hand.

The team exchanged concerned glances as Lisbon looked up. She suddenly looked older. Her face was tight and drawn and her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. She raised a hand and gestured for them to enter as she sunk into her chair. Grace shut the door behind her as Lisbon laid the newspaper clipping on her desk.

The first thing Jane noticed was that it was several years old. The edges were crumbling and the paper had the telltale yellowing of age. His eyes were drawn to the photograph of the young girl that was circled in red. It was a school photograph and the child's curly red hair fell to her shoulders and her eyes sparkled against the harsh words proclaiming her death. She was almost an exact copy of Dr. Valentine's latest victim. Lisbon's shaky voice broke the silence.

"It was my first month out of the academy. Jimmy and I were paired together. We were assigned to canvas a nearby neighborhood while our mentor and his partner checked out a lead. We stumbled into a drug deal, and pulled our guns. The perp grabbed this little girl as Jim fired the shot… He missed," Lisbon's voice broke as she fiddled with a pen.

"She bled out in my arms, and the guy escaped. Jim had been drinking before his shift, and if that fact got out, he would have been done for. .."

"You took the blame." Jane stated as he studied the woman in front of him.

"I did," Lisbon whispered. Without a sound, Jane pulled her up to him and held her tight as the others looked awkwardly at their feet. It was unnerving to see Lisbon in a vulnerable state, and they weren't quite sure how to react. After a minute, Lisbon pulled away and straightened her blouse. The traces of her vulnerability were gone and she appeared to be in her cool, collected state once more.

"Someone is reopening the past," she said calmly. "We all need to be careful of any information we possess." With that final word, she brushed past them and left her office.

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Patrick Jane stared at the man in front of him. Lewis smiled pleasantly at him and offered a cup of tea which Jane reluctantly took. He had already cataloged any interesting detail gleaned from the psychologist's office and had now turned his attention to the man himself. Jane frowned when he realized the man had been talking to him.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Jane asked with a pleasant smile. He would try and behave-for Lisbon's sake.

"I commented on the fact that you've stayed with this team the longest," Lewis stated politely as he watched Jane's expression over the rim of his glasses. Jane nodded.

"They're working on the case I'm interested," Jane offered. Lewis raised an eyebrow.

"It has nothing to do with the personal attachments you've formed with the team?"

"It's a mutual solution," Jane stated plainly. "I help them and they help me." He knew the psychologist was trying to find a crack in his barriers, but he refused to let it get out that he cared for Lisbon…and her team. He shook his head as he hastily added the last thought.

"Is it always this black and white for you?" Lewis asked as he made a note. Jane shrugged and took a sip of tea.

"Red John is the reason I'm working with the CBI. Once that's done with, things will change."

"And how does she feel about that?" Lewis asked while he studied the consultant intently. Jane stared back.

"She?"

"Teresa."

"Lisbon knows my perspective," Jane said. The tension in the room rose as Lewis pushed Jane further.

"But does she accept them?" Jane's gaze became stony. It was the only flicker of emotion on his blank face. "Have you thought about what your actions might mean for her? For the team?" Jane sat the mug down carefully.

"They understand," Jane stated and Lewis squinted his eyes while he debated if Jane was lying.

"Hmm," Lewis responded as he closed his notebook. "I believe that's all we have time for today." Jane nodded and stalked to the door. As he was about to close it, he heard Lewis call out.

"I've heard about recent events, Mr. Jane. Someone needs to keep an eye on her." Jane turned towards the other man.

"She'd shoot you for even insinuating that fact. We both know she can handle herself."

"That may be true, but she's being pulled in too many directions. I'm sure you've noticed it yourself. She can't keep it up much longer." Jane shut the door with a click in the middle of the psychologist's statement. Scowling, he headed back to the bullpen and wondered if any new news had come in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my gosh! I hate when I don't have time to write. Besides, the chapter took my a little longer, because I kept rewriting it. I wasn't sure quite how I wanted everything to play out here! For a brief overview: Jimmy was Lisbon's partner when they were rookies. Ben and Charlie are her brothers. This chapter does end a little abruptly, but I'll try to get another one up soon!**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I really appreciate the feedback, and I'm glad so many of you like this one! I'm going to try and update Slip of the Tongue again (today or tomorrow), so be on the lookout! Heh! Much love to you all. Thanks to LALEZ, KATHIANN, UNONIMOUS, JADESTAR, SHOPPINGLUVA, JOCELYN, TROMANA, MYGOLDENGLOW, CURELESS, KHALEK, EBONY, WILDDAISIES, PHOENIXWYTCH, CATERINA, and PENELOPE.**

**Random side note- I watched Niagra Niagra tonight (the indie film that Robin Tunney starred in in 1998.) It's amazing, but heartbreaking- she's such an awesome actress! Watch it if you can find it! I bought it off Amazon. It is rated R.**

Ch. 9

Teresa Lisbon was nowhere to be seen when Jane reentered the bullpen. He felt his heart race as he glanced in her empty office. The other agents were going about their usual work, not noticing his sudden nervousness. Scanning the room, he noticed her leather jacket was not in its normal spot. Without a word, he turned and headed out of the bullpen.

Pushing the door open, he was relieved to see the brunette agent leaning on the roof ledge. The wind had picked up and whipped around her. The setting sun bathed her in a golden glow, and Jane wished he had a camera. She didn't acknowledge him as he quietly placed himself beside her. They stood in comfortable silence and Jane watched many expressions flicker across her face as she looked out over the city she had sworn to protect.

"They put an alert out for Ben and his family," she said softly as she pulled her coat tighter around her. She stared at a vacant point on the horizon.

"I heard," he replied. He reached out and lightly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The unexpected contact sent her flinching sideways causing them both to hastily mutter apologies. She ducked her head and exhaled loudly as her phone rang. Her expression hardened as she listened. Jane could make out a muffled voice in a frenzy on the other line.

"We'll be right there," she said tiredly. It had already been a long day and none of them had slept well the night before. She took one last look at the city silhouetted against the dark sky before turning away. Jane followed closely and neither sad a word when his hand casually brushed up against hers.

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Kimball Cho had been blankly staring at the same page of his book for the last twenty minutes. After a stint in juvie as well as a brief term in the army, most things just didn't bother him. The latest business with Red John shook him to the core. The serial killer had blown his psychological profile out of the water and seemed to be everywhere. What kind of power and resources did the guy have at his disposal?

It was a game of cat and mouse that had gone beyond Jane. It had enveloped Lisbon and was starting to drag down the whole team. Not to mention, the new killer seemed to have some sort of connection with Red John. Cho didn't think they were the same person, but somehow he knew everything was related. It was bad, and he had a feeling it was going to get a lot worse.

He had seen Lisbon disappear out of the corner of his eye, and thirty minutes later Jane had walked in. The consultant was rattled after his visit with the shrink. It took a lot to rattle Patrick Jane, but he knew from the way Jane's eyes searched the bullpen that Lisbon was the reason for his worry.

He had heard another team blaming Jane for the possible destruction of the Serious Crimes Unit. They were silent when they saw him. Cho stared them in the eye, and none would meet his gaze. In a way, he was thankful for Jane. Nothing about this situation was his fault, and he was glad there was someone to help pull their boss through. Lisbon was shutting down slowly, and Jane was the only one who could reach her.

"What do you think about David?" Van Pelt asked. Cho shrugged. He had only had one session with the psychologist so far.

"He doesn't seem to bad. He's a little invasive, but that's his job," he answered. Van Pelt nodded and chewed on her lower lip as she debated asking her next question.

"How long do you think this will drag out?" Van Pelt asked softly. Cho raised his eyes and met her concerned gaze. As he opened his mouth to answer, Lisbon and Jane burst into the room. It was clear that she had lost weight over the past few days. Even with all the stress and heartache, Lisbon still commanded attention. She wasn't going to back down from this one.

"Minelli wants us to head out for the day," Lisbon stated as she crossed her arms. "I'm craving some lo mein. Anyone mind if we stop on the way to the hotel?" she asked with a small smile. The mood lightened at the hint of normalcy that had been interjected back into their life. Lisbon was strong, and Cho knew she'd get through this.

"Sounds great, boss!" Rigsby exclaimed. The team ignored the other agents sharp stares as they headed towards the front door. Subconsciously, Rigsby and Jane had surrounded Lisbon while they walked. If she noticed their unusual behavior, she didn't say anything. They were greeted by the flashing of bulbs when they walked outside. Several news crews stood just outside the CBI gates, and craned their necks to watch the team as several voices rang out.

"Agent Lisbon! Rumor has it Red John has threatened you personally and has your brother!"

"Why are you still on the case?"

"Does this have anything to do with the death of Chloe Carpenter?"

"Is Patrick Jane involved?"

Lisbon looked back to the building and frowned at the sight of several agents plastered to the windows as they tried to see what all the commotion was about. Minelli came storming out as a large white paneled van whipped around the corner. The cameramen turned to film the new development as a man was shoved out of the moving vehicle. He hit the pavement with a sickening thud and flipped a few times before stopping in a bloody heap

"Call an ambulance!" Lisbon exclaimed as she sprinted to the still form. Flashes went off but she ignored them when she reached the man. Cho appeared beside her with a towel. His bare torso was covered in deep gashes, and he groaned when she pressed the damp cloth to his back. She gently turned him over and froze as she stared into the bloody eye socket. She was staring at the disfigured face of Benjamin Lisbon.


	10. Chapter 10

**I've decided to start off this A/N a little differently! I normally go for a run before I write, and there are several songs I listen to that help get me in the mood for this story. Most of them have affected a chapter in some way or another, and remind me of possible moments for Lisbon and Jane. I thought I'd share: My Last Breath (Evanescence), Iris (GooGoo Dolls), I Run to You (Lady Antebellum), Stigmatized (The Calling), Broken (Evanescence/Seether), Please Don't Leave Me (Pink), Whisper (Evanescence). The last song is All We'd Ever Need by Lady Antebellum and I think it's perfect for Lisbon and Jane. I'm in love with this song right now-it will definitely influence later chapters!**

**Another big thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter, even though I left y'all with an evilly abrupt ending. I love the tension-what can I say?! PHOENIXWYTCH, KHALEK, CATERINA, SHOPPINGLUVA, TROMANA, LALEZ, JOCELYN, PENELOPELOUISE, EMMABERLIN, UNONIMOUS, MYGOLDENGLOW, ELODIE, KATHHIANN, JADESTAR, TIVA4EVER and INNOXIA. I know we're all crazy busy with school, work, and everyday life so I appreciate the time y'all take!**

**WARNING: There's language that I rarely use in this chapter as well as mentions of violence and rape.**

Chapter 10

"Oh God," she whispered as she pulled back sharply. Her hand was covered in blood and she was transfixed by the red droplets running down her skin. She was oblivious to the camera flashes and the myriad of voices that were targeting her. She vaguely recognized Minelli's voice booming over the cacophony of other sounds as he ordered the scene to be blocked off and secured.

The ambulance arrived at the same moment Ben Lisbon began to stir. His body began to strain against the pressure she was applying, and she was grateful for the man beside her who helped her keep her brother still. Jane hadn't said a word, and Lisbon was thankful for the moment of silent respect. At the moment, her mind was too far torn apart to be analyzed by Jane.

She was startled when her brother's eyes flew open. His face contorted in pain and rage as his eyes darted around before landing on her own. He gulped in several breaths of air as the ambulance finally parked nearby. He seemed to be reacting on pure adrenaline and Jane watched uncomfortably as rage gave way to pure hatred.

"This is all your fault," he growled as the paramedics walked up. Unable to respond, Lisbon backed away like she had been stung. The paramedics brushed Jane away as they loaded the irate man into the ambulance. Jane's eyes locked on Lisbon's frozen form as she watched the vehicle drive away. He slowly walked to her side and placed his hand on her arm. Seeing no visible reaction, he carefully began to lead her back inside when she grasped his arm tightly as if he was her lifeline. Just as soon as he felt her grip, it was gone. It was as if it had never happened.

"Get her inside NOW," he heard Minelli roar. Jane could just make out the protests of the reporters who were being forced to turn in their equipment as evidence as the door shut behind him. He led the petite agent and firmly pulled her down on the couch.

Lisbon was in a daze. Her eyes were unfocused and her muscles were extremely tight. She blinked a few times as they sat in silence. Jane took her hand in his and ran his thumb over the back of her hand. His feather light touch jarred her out of her stupor and she stared at their intertwined hands. She exhaled deeply and finally sunk into the soft leather when the rest of the team entered the bullpen.

Their apprehension was clearly displayed on their faces as they silently entered the bullpen. Jane gave them a small smile before turning back to Lisbon. Van Pelt stood awkwardly at her desk while Cho and Rigsby paced near their boss' office. When Minelli entered all attentions were focused on him.

"The papers aren't going to be pleasant tomorrow but you all have the support of the CBI no matter what is printed. I've brought in another team to help run evidence and background information, but they will report all findings to you," Minelli said. The director's attention focused on Lisbon who didn't seem to be aware of her surroundings.

"Lisbon?" Minelli said softly as the brunette continued to stare at her hands. "Teresa?" Lisbon suddenly looked up and her eyes locked with Minelli's.

"Did he leave any notes? Anything about the whereabouts of Ben's wife and child?" she said softly. Minelli shook his head. Lisbon's arm shot out as she hurled a nearby teacup at the wall.

"Goddamn it," she yelled. Her breathing became frantic while the others looked away. Jane grabbed her hand once more and she closed her eyes.

"Get some rest," Minelli said softly. His gaze was tender as he brushed off Lisbon's sudden tantrum. Minelli looked at Jane, and the consultant nodded imperceptibly. With a heavy sigh, the CBI director headed to his office to begin a long night of important phone calls.

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"It's done," a distorted voice said. The man on the other end felt his lips curve into a smile as he hung up the phone. Everything was going according to plan, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

He didn't think of himself as an evil man. He was only facilitating what needed to happen, and besides he wasn't the one wielding the silver blade. These people needed to be shaken up. They needed to face their actions and understand the big picture. He had an inkling that his logic was slightly faulty, but whose wasn't. Everyone fostered a slightly egocentric viewpoint of the world-it was human nature.

His gloved hand ran down a table full of newspaper clippings featuring the Serious Crimes Unit. They all had their flaws, and he was sick and tired of seeing such broken people act through a façade of heroism. They were murderers-just because it was labeled justice didn't mean it wasn't murder.

He didn't particularly enjoy working with the other serial killer, but the other man did have resources he was unable to get a hold of. He knew the other man was dangerous, but he was smart enough to watch his back and keep Red John happy. Red John wanted Patrick Jane. It was a twisted little game that would bring the other killer down, but who was he to judge? As long as he got what he wanted in the end, he could care less about what happened to the capricious consultant.

His finger stopped on a slightly blurry picture of senior agent Teresa Lisbon. She was a pretty little thing-dangerous. He felt the familiar warm stirrings in his groin as he studied her picture. He would break her before this was over. She would come to him of her own accord at the end and he would fuck her fast and hard before shattering her completely. He smiled briefly as his pants bulged at the thought of what his future plans would entail. She was his.


	11. Chapter 11

**Apparently I haven't been paying enough attention to my own story because I just realized how long this one is! It's already over 15,000 words and is my second highest reviewed story. That makes me really happy! Sorry for the random beginning-I just had to share my shock!**

**I apologize for the delay. I have had a lot of random assignments due for school- all busy work of course, and I got a little stuck with this chapter. (That seems to be a theme) I know where I'm going with the story, it's just a bit of a rough patch. That and I had to paint a barn today. Exhaustion cuts into my writing time. Sigh. Here's a longer chapter though! Hope y'all enjoy!**

**Another big thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and welcome to those new readers and reviewers! WILDDAISIES, UNONIMOUS, MYGOLDENGLOW, KHALEK, NELLIE, PHOENIXWYTCH, TROMANA, LALEZ, TIVA4EVA, PENELOPE, JOCELYN, DORY, SHOPPINGLUVA, CURELESS,JADESTAR, and EMMABERLIN. If you haven't already, you should check out the JelloForever Forum if you're a Jane/Lisbon fan! I'm sorry for any mistakes and misspellings. I'm writing this one at two am, and my eyes aren't working.**

**Chapter 11**

Kimball Cho glared at the morning paper that had been haphazardly propped against the room door. He was tempted to remove all the papers from the hallway, but he had a feeling that would make things worse. Lisbon's bloody picture was staring out from the front page. Her vacant eyes were glistening with unshed tears and the faint outline of a body could be seen in the foreground. With a scowl, he balled the paper in his fist and stalked back into the room.

Rigsby had somehow managed to squeeze his large frame into an overstuffed armchair, so Grace could have the bed. His feet dangled over the armrest and his head was tilted to the side. His eyes popped open as Cho reentered the room. He frowned when he recognized Cho's death glare.

"What's wrong?" Van Pelt asked sleepily. Rigsby and Van Pelt both frowned when they caught a glimpse of the headline.

**_UNSTABLE AGENT LEFT IN CHARGE OF NOTORIOUS SERIAL KILLER CASE_**

_The CBI denies any possibility of a cover-up involving the death of a young child several years ago. Agent Teresa Lisbon was cleared after the accidental shooting that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. Recently, she is most well-know for being the Agent-in-Charge of the notorious Red John case. The case has gotten more personal for Agent Lisbon after the kidnapping of her brother and his family. CBI Director Virgil Minelli fully supports his decision to leave Lisbon in charge despite personal conflict._

"I hate reporters," Rigsby muttered as he tore his eyes from the paper. Cho turned towards Van Pelt.

"Is there any way you can track the source of the reporter's informant? I want to know who leaked this information," Cho asked. Van Pelt nodded slowly as she thought about his request.

"Keep it from Lisbon," he added as he left the room.

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Teresa Lisbon woke in the unfamiliar grasp of the person beside her. Her eyes flickered open and she sleepily turned her head. Jane was stretched out on top of the covers. His arm was wrapped around her waist and he was still fast asleep. She vaguely remembered his gentle touch soothing the tense muscles in her back before she fell into a dreamless sleep. She thanked him silently for keeping the nightmares away, and slipped out of his grasp.

She softly padded to the bathroom and splashed cool water onto her face. Looking up, she frowned when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her face was tight and her eyes were dull. She sighed and closed her eyes. There was a reason she was a woman in a male dominated field- her looks weren't all that important to her. She was used to downplaying her femininity, but there were days she wished she could walk in with the effortless beauty her rookie agent seemed to flaunt.

"Penny for 'em." She jumped a mile when Jane's husky voice interrupted her thoughts. She didn't even realize that he had come up behind her.

"Are you adding lurking to your resume?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. He realized she was deflecting the topic away from herself and decided he would play her game for now.

"Nah. I'm still refining the technique," he said with a casual grin.

"Try slouching more," she replied. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her hands. She could feel his eyes studying her. She knew he saw through her attempt at playful banter.

"You seem better today," he said nonchalantly. She exhaled slowly.

"My brother was tortured by Red John. It was a bad day."

"Talk to me, Lisbon," he said softly. She let out a bitter laugh and looked him in the eye.

"That's real funny, Jane. You should try it some time." She stood abruptly and hastily began pulling clothes out of the drawer. Jane watched her erratic behavior and decided to push her a little farther.

"What are those scars from?" he asked quietly. She faltered for a moment and he could visibly see her shoulders stiffen.

"It's called foster care, Jane." she said angrily. "Not all of us had idyllic childhoods." The bathroom door slammed shut and a hesitant knock sounded at the adjoining door. Van Pelt poked her head in slowly.

"Everything alright?" she asked with a concerned glance.

"Peachy," he stated.

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He noticed she was distant today. She had entered his office with a guarded expression as she sunk into the leather armchair. David frowned. He had really thought they had been making progress in the few sessions they'd had already.

"How was the hospital?" he asked. Lisbon stiffened immediately and shot him a slightly bewildered gaze. "Grace was in here earlier," he explained and she gave a brief nod of understanding.

"I was denied entrance," she stated evenly and Lewis could see her walls raise. He would have to tread carefully today.

"How do you feel about that?"

"It's understandable," she replied. "His wife and child are still missing, and my job should have never put them in jeopardy." He nodded and made a note.

"I heard you had an argument with Mr. Jane this morning."

"What are you insinuating?" she asked as her eyes narrowed.

"This situation could have been avoided with the elimination of Mr. Jane and his obsession with Red John. Aren't you tired of being treated as a pawn, Teresa? I have your complete file including your early background with child services."

"That subject is off-limits," she growled as she leapt up and exited the office. Lewis just smiled as he made another note. Her exit was inevitable, really, and someone had to ask the hard questions.

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When she returned to the bullpen, the team was crowded around her office. Her heart dropped when she noticed Minelli's grave face. Only Jane would meet her gaze, and despite their earlier argument, she found strength in his presence.

"Local police found the body of James (Jimmy) Ward earlier this morning. He was killed by a gunshot wound to the head," Minelli stated calmly as he handed Lisbon a crime scene photograph. The picture showed a man's torso with a large carved heart cut into the skin. In the middle of the heart, was a familiar red smiley face. She rubbed her forehead and nodded her thanks to her boss.

"Can we count this as proof that Red John and Dr. Valentine are working together?" Rigsby asked solemnly.

"It's inclusive," Lisbon answered. "Everyone knows Red John leaves a smiley face. It won't hold up in court." The others nodded before heading back to their desks. Jane hung back and followed Lisbon into her office.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he said. She looked up at him with wide-eyes before nodding her acceptance.

"I don't know how much more I can take," she said quietly. "We're no closer to solving either case, and to make matters worse- I'm going to have to issue a press release that the two most wanted serial killers in California have most likely teamed up."

Jane slid his hand over hers and squeezed. A faint smile crossed her face and she pulled him to the door. With a quizzical look, he followed her through the building to the stairwell and refused to let go of her hand. Pushing open the door to the roof, she stopped and faced him.

"Ben and I never really got along. He was always jealous of the bond that Charlie and I share. I know he's scared out of his mind, but it still hurts that he refuses to have anything to do with me," she paused and he waited patiently for her to continue.

"My dad drunk himself to death and we were shuffled around. No one wanted to take in three kids, so we were split up." Her voice faltered for a moment, and Jane squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'm just so tired," she added softly. His heart lurched and he pulled the brunette woman to him. He whispered soothing words as his fingers ran through her long hair. She tightened her drip on him momentarily before stepping back.

"You said you'd always be there for me. Did you mean that?"

"I won't leave you," he replied. At that very moment, the door flew open and Cho rushed onto the roof.

"We have a situation, boss." She sighed as he filled them in.

A few minutes later, she found herself back in Dr. Lewis' office. It had only been a few hours since she had last seen the man. The room had been torn apart and there were multiple signs of a struggle. File cabinets were upended and paperwork was strewn across the room. The leather armchairs had been sliced open with a knife. Jane studied the scene with a frown before whirling around in a panic. He searched through the files while the others watched. They didn't know whether to help or stay out of his way. With a growl, he looked up at the team.

"Our files are gone," he said. The team stared at him in disbelief.

Lisbon slowly made her way over to Lewis' desk, and flipped through the piles of papers that seemed to be relatively undisturbed. With a sigh, she pulled out a single file from the stack. Her name was written across the tab. Flipping it open, her eyes widened as she read the session notes and she started to shake with shock and anger. Her eyes locked with Jane's as several photographs fell out of the file and landed face-up on the desk. Dr. David Lewis had a lot of explaining to do.


	12. Chapter 12

**Woohoo! A rather quick update! I know this makes y'all happy! This chapter's dedicated to Tiva4Eva who left the most enthusiastic review and also Dory, a new reviewer! Thanks to both of you!**

**This chapter was a lot of fun! I'm excited that we're getting back into the action once more. This chapter didn't quite go as planned, but I like the way it tied itself together. Hopefully, it's not too predictable, although I know several of y'all are suspicious! Anywho, we're in the home stretch now (don't worry-there are still several chapters left!) Sorry it's shorter, but I really need to go take a quiz for my online class now! It's kind of due tomorrow! Whoops!**

**A really big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: TROMANA, CATERINA, KHALEK, LALEZ, UNONIMOUS, SHOPPINGLUVA, PHEONIXWYTCH, DORY, JADESTAR, PENELOPE, TIVA4EVA, ELODIE, JELLOFANATIC, CHOCOLATEFAN, and MYGOLDENGLOW! THANK YOU all!!!!!**

Ch.12

Jane could feel the anger beginning to bubble up inside him as he stared at the photographs on Dr. Lewis' desk. Approximately thirty pictures of Teresa Lisbon stared up at him. The setting varied from working at the CBI to shots of her in her apartment, and the most recent picture was of her and Jane entering the hotel. Lisbon was adamant about keeping her personal life private, and he wondered how she would react knowing her privacy had been shattered.

Jane looked at the woman beside him. Her hand started to tremble as she stared at the last photograph. It was of her brother's family. Jessie was huddled in the corner of a cement room. She had a nasty head wound and she clutched her seven year old son to her. Something in Lisbon's expression changed and she set down the photograph. The others watched in fear and fascination and wondered what she would do next.

"Cho- I want everything we have on Lewis. Everything. Rigsby-take this picture to the lab. I want any possible locations in a 60 mile radius from here." She paused as she flipped through the psychologist's handwritten notes and a frown marred her pretty face.

"He knows details of our ongoing cases. There is no way he was able to get a hold of those records," she muttered to herself. Grace cleared her throat nervously.

"Um, boss. That may be my fault," the red head said as she waited for Lisbon's judgment. Lisbon scowled and glared at the younger agent who quickly transferred her gaze to the floor.

"You discussed confidential case information?" the senior agent stated. Van Pelt hesitated. Lisbon's soft voice was worse than any verbal lashing she had ever received.

"I thought it would help the team," Van Pelt said quietly. She had never been more ashamed in her life. Lisbon huffed, but refused to answer.

"How did I miss this?" Minelli asked softly as he stared around the upended office. "He's worked here for over five years."

"He enjoyed playing with us," Jane responded dejectedly. "He interjected himself into the cases and agents, and laughed at us the whole time. He knew where to find Red John." Jane's fists clenched by his side and he was surprised to feel Lisbon's cool hand on his wrist. He breathed and the tension dissipated.

"The media's going to eat us alive on this one- a serial killer in our own midst." Minelli said before walking out. "I better start damage control."

The office slowly cleared until only Lisbon and Jane were left staring at the wreckage. Her shoulders slumped as her gaze fell onto the pictures once more. Jane watched as she absentmindedly chewed on her bottom lip. The habit would have been considered erotic if the situation wasn't so dismal.

"There has to be something we're missing," she said as she looked Jane in the eye. The consultant pursed his lips.

"Was there anything in particular he pushed you into discussing? Anything that seemed out of place?" Jane asked. He allowed his eyes to wander over the office while Lisbon mulled over her thoughts.

"Not really," she started. "I walked out early most of the time-" she stopped in mid sentence and Jane quickly turned to face her. She was lost in her own world, and never noticed when Jane took her hand in his. He could feel her pulse racing, and he tried to get her to refocus her attention.

"Lisbon. Lisbon!"

"He knew about the girl," she blurted out. Jane looked momentarily confused before realization dawned on him.

"The one Jimmy accidentally shot?" he clarified. She nodded slowly.

"Her name was Aimee Roberts," she added softly. Jane's eyes widened.

"You do know that Aimee means 'beloved' in a variety of languages," he said. "She might have been the trigger."

"The heart…" Lisbon added. Her eyes widened. "Do you think he's been watching me for the past five years?" Jane's eyes darkened as they quickly hurried back to the bullpen.

The other agents looked up as Lisbon and Jane rushed in. Cho almost smiled at the normality of the situation. He couldn't wait for this case to be over, so everything could return to normal. Everyone was so tense, and he honestly missed the playful banter that used to liven the office.

"Pull any information we have on Aimee Roberts," Lisbon said urgently. "I want to know if she has any connection to Lewis." Van Pelt nodded, eager to prove herself and earn Lisbon's respect once more. Her eyes quickly scanned the page. After a moment she grinned.

"Amanda Lewis married Derek Roberts fifteen years ago. They had one child-Aimee. David was her uncle," Van Pelt smiled at her success until the reality of what she had uncovered sunk in. David Lewis, CBI psychologist, was most likely Dr. Valentine. He had means, motive, and plenty of opportunity.

"Any known addresses?" Lisbon asked quickly. Grace nodded.

"2912 Timber Terrace- it's on the outskirts of town." Lisbon nodded before turning to her team.

"I'm going to update Minelli. He'll probably want reinforcements on this one. Be ready to leave when I get back." The all nodded in anticipation. This was the first real lead they had found in the entire case. Grace started to gather her things when Lisbon stopped at the door.

"You're staying here, Van Pelt. I need those warrants filled out," Lisbon called over her shoulder. Van Pelt winced and sat back down with a thud. Rigsby shot her an apologetic look.

"It's my own fault," the red head replied before restarting her computer with a defeated expression. Rigsby and Cho exchanged a look before heading down to the SUV.


	13. Chapter 13

**I apologize for the delay in posting! I'm house sitting for my aunt, and their internet is not working. Add the fact that I'm working on a midterm project due Saturday, and I had a paper due today, and I've been painting a barn by myself…well, you get the picture!**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed! I can't believe this one has over 200 reviews! I feel so accomplished! We're nearing the end of this one, unfortunately. So sad! Oh! This one's dedicated to Caterina and EmmaBerlin who's reviews made me smile! HUGS to CATERINA, WILDDAISIES, ELODIE, PHOENIXWYTCH, SHOPPINGLUVA, TROMANA (my twin from across the pond), TIVA4EVA, LALEZ, PENELOPE, KHALEK, EMMABERLIN, UNONIMOUS, DORY, CURELESS, CHOCOLATEFAN, KATHIANN, JADESTAR, NELLIE, JELLOFANATIC, and MYGOLDENGLOW.**

**I know that this chapter doesn't really follow procedure. I'm sure they'd have backup and all kinds of craziness when going to confront a serial killer. Just go with it! Hehehehe-this is why it's fiction! I'm sorry in advance. It's another cliffhanger, and you'll probably all hate me! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for...**

Ch. 13

Golden beams of sunlight flickered across the interior of the car as Cho drove silently. Flipping on his blinker, he pulled onto a gravel road and quickly glanced at the passenger seat. Lisbon was leaning her head back against the headrest as she stared out the window. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the edge of the file in her lap.

Jane and Rigsby were surprisingly silent in the backseat of the SUV. The tension was palpable as they neared their destination and each occupant wondered what would be found. Jane could feel the energy build and he was positive that today would be the day he found Red John. His hand twitched in nervous anticipation as his gaze shifted to the woman in the passenger seat.

Lisbon had magically convinced Minelli to give them thirty minutes before sending in a second team. He was surprised that Minelli had actually agreed with the senior agent's plan considering it was a lead for the state's two most wanted criminals, but apparently Lisbon was more persuasive than he had realized.

The crunch of the gravel under the tires lessened as Cho slowed to a stop. Exchanging a look with Lisbon, he parked a quarter of a mile away. The road dipped down into a small valley where an older farmhouse was nestled in an overgrown yard. Anyone who approached would be easily spotted. It was a trap and Jane could tell from the steely glint in Lisbon's eyes that she was aware of that face. She wordlessly handed Jane a bulletproof vest.

"I'm not going to try and stop you from coming. You wouldn't listen anyways," she said softly. His hand lightly brushed against hers and he marveled at the softness of her skin as he touched the rough Kevlar. They held eye contact for what seemed like minutes as unspoken words flew between them until Rigsby sneezed. The big agent looked sheepish as Lisbon pulled out her phone.

"Were you able to find any schematics?" she asked. She listened to the person on the other end while answering in monosyllables. "Okay, Van Pelt. Take it to Minelli and get him to sign it. I want it done perfectly by the book. This bastard's not walking on a technicality."

Hanging up, she turned to her team and squared her shoulders before striding off down the road. Jane exhaled before bounding after her. Keeping a stride or two behind her, he wondered if Lewis was still even alive. Red John would have no use for the man-he had completed his task and the serial killer would find joy in the psychologist's death.

They reached the house without incident and he could tell Lisbon was on high alert. Her intelligent eyes scanned the property before motioning for Cho and Rigsby to take the front door. He followed her around the back and his eyes locked on the detached garage that stood off to the side. Lisbon glanced back at him, and he knew she was thinking the same thing.

She slowly pushed open the door and winced when the hinge squeaked. She took a few steps into the dark building and tripped over a large object. At that moment a blinding spotlight doused the center of the room in light and she gagged at the sight before her. Jessie's dissected body lay before her. The woman's sightless eyes stared up in pain and horror, and a large heart was carved deep into her flesh.

"How predictable," a familiar voice echoed as Jane stepped closer to Lisbon. She instinctively pointed her gun in the direction of the sound and willed her eyes to refocus in the dark corners. "Really my dear, it's been quite easy to investigate you the past few years. You're extremely conventional-mundane really." David Lewis stepped out from the shadows holding a shell-shocked child in front of him. The metal of a gun glinted in the light.

"You fucking bastard," Lisbon hissed. Lewis let out a menacing chuckle.

"Now, now Teresa. We must not use such language in front of the boy. I'm sure Ben would love to find out about the impression you're leaving with his son. What will Charlie think when he realizes this is all your fault?"

"Release the boy. We have the place surrounded," Lisbon stated with a detached air. Lewis just smiled.

"That doesn't bother me, my dear. You see, I know I won't be walking out of here alive."

"You know, it's a shame you've put all this planning into the wrong target," Jane interjected calmly. Lisbon was visibly near her breaking point and he knew Lewis would use his knowledge of her to push her over the edge, so he did the only thing he could think of. He tried to pull the conversation onto him. Lewis's eyes narrowed as he sneered at the blond consultant. Jane smiled coldly.

"Your information is wrong. Lisbon didn't kill your niece," Jane stated. Lisbon shot him a warning glare as he took a step forward and to the side.

"Your mind games don't work on me, Mr. Jane." Lewis's eyes flickered to Lisbon as Jane began to speak once more.

"Lisbon was covering for her partner. Jimmy took the shot that killed your niece. Your plan is faulty." Jane continued to step away from Lisbon and Lewis. Lewis turned his gun on Jane before swinging it back to Lisbon. Jane could see the sweat forming on the man's brow as he contemplated his next move.

"No matter," Lewis said softly. Lisbon and Jane froze. Lewis was acting the exact opposite of what they were expecting.

"Aunt Tessa?" a small voice quivered. Lisbon's breath caught in her throat at the sound of her nephew. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another figure enter the room. The man was broad, but in peak physical condition. A black mask was pulled low over his face and Lisbon could just make out the dried blood that encircled the eye and mouth openings forming a rudimentary face. Red John.

She heard Jane's sharp intake a breath as he noticed the second figure. She wondered where the hell Rigsby and Cho were as Lewis smiled coldly before releasing Jeremy. The boy began to run towards his aunt, but she could risk a shot for fear of hitting her nephew. Her eyes widened when she saw Lewis level the barrel of the gun at the small child. She willed her legs to move as she sprinted towards the child.

"NOOOOO!" The strangled cry tore threw her lips as she heard the shot. She saw Jeremy jerk once, his eyes terrified as he locked on to the familiar face of his aunt. She caught him as his legs began to buckle and she cradled the small body as two more shots rang out. She twisted in the air and landed with a thud on the cement floor.

She winced at the sharp pain that tore through her side as she tried to inhale and knew she'd been hit. Pushing past the pain, she realized she never even saw Lewis fall. The psychologist lay in a pool of his own blood with a smile on his face. She forced her body to move to her knees as she laid the warm body of her nephew on the ground.

Her eyes raked his body and she finally found the small exit wound right under his heart. His death had been mercifully instantaneous. A sob broke free and she never noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her vision began to blur and she pressed her hand to her wounded side.

She wildly looked around the room to confirm what she already knew in her heart. Patrick Jane was gone. He had chosen Red John over her. She whimpered as she wrapped her arms around Jeremy and cried. He had left her. She vaguely saw the outline of Rigsby and Cho enter as she lost consciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay-I have a serious question for y'all. Do you think I should include the actual text from Princess of Tides as part of a chapter in this story, or should I just make a notation at the beginning of the chapter to have you go and read it… I'm debating on if that will break the flow of the story. Right now I'm considering writing it from Jane's perspective. What do y'all think?**

**Thanks to everyone who's been patient with me! I know I promised to have this one up earlier, but I got Season One of FRINGE in the mail (finally) and I've spent all my extra time watching it. I'm halfway through it, and it will change the way you view the world. It's such an awesome show! Anyways, I can't concentrate enough to write during it, but I can play with photoshop…Hence my banners on the JelloForever forum! HAHAHA.**

**THANKS to PENELOPELOUISE, ELODIE, NELLIE, TROMANA, WILDDAISIES, EMMABERLIN, SHOPPINGLUVA, KHALEK, PHEONIXWYTCH, MYGOLDENGLOW, CHOCOLATEFAN, CURELESS, LALEZ, TIVA4EVA, MALIANG, JELLOFANATIC, and JADESTAR. I swear those were the longest reviews I've ever gotten! Thanks for making my day, and I hope my review replies gave you some peace of mind!**

**I'm sorry this is so short, but the answers I get to my above question really affected this. I don't like to have a few days pass during chapters! Plus, it's 4:30 AM and I haven't been to sleep yet…**

Ch. 14

Kimball Cho could feel his heart beat rapidly as he studied his surroundings. The walls of David Lewis' house were plastered with newspaper clippings, photographs, and internet articles all dealing with Teresa Lisbon. The effect was nauseating and he hoped to God that Lisbon and Jane hadn't seen any of it yet. He knew neither of them would have a positive reaction. He was not thrilled to have to collected it later for evidence. He turned to Rigsby and was about to suggest they go look for their two wayward colleagues when gunshots rang out.

"We can't leave them alone, can we?" Rigsby muttered as the two agents sprinted out of the house. They rounded the corner and skidded to a stop in front of a large detached garage. The building was falling apart and had the eerie appearance of an old warehouse. They two men exchanged a concerned look as they peered in the door. Blackness greeted them, and Cho wondered if maybe they should have given Jane a gun.

"Cover me," Cho said quietly as he entered the building first. Rigsby quickly followed and blanched at the sight in front of him. Teresa Lisbon was curled on her side with a young boy cradled in her arms. Blood was trickling down her side and was pooling under both of them. Her breathing was visibly labored and Rigsby froze at the satisfied smile crossing David Lewis's dead face several feet away. He gagged at the sight of Jessie's butchered body and wondered what had gone wrong. The only thing remotely good that seemed to have happened was that Lewis was finally dead.

"Where the hell is Jane?" Cho asked as he pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance. "Clear the building," he shouted to Rigsby as he tore off his suit jacket and pressed it to Lisbon's side.

"Come on, Boss. Open your eyes," he whispered as he checked her pulse. He gently rolled her onto her back, and gritted his teeth when he had to unclench her fists from her nephew's shirt. Her wound didn't look extremely serious, and he figured her unconscious state was due to a combination of shock and blood loss. A shadow crossed over her body and he looked up to see Patrick Jane standing in front of him. The man was deathly pale and quickly dropped to his knees beside her. His hands gently ran over her face as if to reassure himself that she was still alive, before his eyes flickered to the dead child.

"What the hell did you do?" Rigsby asked angrily. The big agent had quietly appeared behind him and he looked like he wanted to kill the uninjured consultant. Jane looked up with a guilty expression.

"I saw Lewis fall, and thought she had the situation under control. Red John was here," he stated softly as Rigsby stared him down. Cho's head snapped up at Red John's name and his eyes narrowed in anger.

"You left her! You're stuck in some Don Quixote fantasy, and she's paying for it!" Cho angrily exclaimed. Jane stared at the Asian man in surprise and then looked back at the unconscious woman on the floor. His fingertips lightly brushed her cheek and Cho almost felt a pang of remorse before he pushed the thought away. Lisbon was hurt once again because of Jane.

"You're right," Jane said quietly as he bowed his head. Several moments of silence past as the agents and the consultant tried to wrap their minds around the scene. Lisbon was so still. The tear tracks were visible on her cheeks and Jane wasn't sure what state she'd wake up in. She had lost two more family members and he knew she'd blame herself for letting her job interfere with her personal life.

At that moment, the ambulance roared onto the property at the same moment backup arrived. The flashing lights illuminated the additional agents that jumped out of the vehicles. They would help process the scene, but Jane doubted they would find any evidence linking Red John to the location. The killer was too slick. Jane was quickly pushed aside as the paramedics loaded Lisbon onto a stretcher. The bullet was still embedded in her side, and they needed to get her into surgery as soon as possible. Before he knew it, the ambulance was pulling out of the driveway without him.

He exhaled slowly and turned back to the scene. Rigsby had followed the ambulance leaving Cho to finish processing the scene. He marveled at the other agent's ability to compartmentalize his personal feelings into finding justice for the victims. A fresh pang of guilt stabbed at him as he realized that was what Lisbon had been trying to get him to do the entire time. There were other ways to seek revenge-more capable ways to hunt Red John. Jane closed his eyes to block the sight of the small body bag, and he wondered if his obsession with the serial killer had cost another child his life.

Cho refused to look at him, and Jane found himself wandering to the edge of the crime scene. He sat under a tree and watched as agents came and went, tagging various items and carrying stuff in and out as darkness crept upon the yard. He never noticed when Cho left, but he couldn't fault the man for leaving without him. Stuffing his bloody hands into his pockets, he began to walk towards the parking lot.

"You need a ride?" one of the CSI guys asked when they noticed his lost expression. Jane nodded as his mask slipped back into place.

"Where you headed?" the man asked.

"Anywhere," Jane replied without looking back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay-here's a nice, long chapter for y'all! I really hope you like this one, because I really enjoyed writing it! This one also made me a little teary. Whew, I need to stop with the sadness, but we still have a little ways to go. This one may be a little hard to follow-but basically anything in italics is one of Jane's flashbacks. I didn't really want to write a lot of hospital stuff, but I will promise a flashback of Lisbon's argument with Ben in the next chapter. It just didn't fit in with this one! Also- I don't know much about medical stuff, so just go with it! Basically this one happens about a week after the shooting-yeah, you'll understand after you read it!**

**Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter! I'm getting ready to respond to them as soon as I post this one! Your feedback really helped me with my little dilemma, but I think I've found a good solution!!! I think that chapter will be next! Woohoo! I'm excited about that one. This chapter's dedicated to my twin-TROMANA who provided several not so subtle hints that she was impatiently waiting for the next chapter!**

**A BIG thank you to: LALEZ, TROMANA, TIVA4EVA, PENELOPELOUISE, CATERINA, JELLOFANATIC, ELODIE WOLFE, WILDDAISIES, MYGOLDENGLOW, PHEONIX WYTCH, JADESTAR, DORY, EMMABERLIN, CURELESS, and KATHIANN.**

Chapter 15

Patrick Jane had lost count of the number of days that had passed while he stared at the neutral colored wall across from his couch. Word had spread quickly about 'the incident', and he ignored the sympathetic looks that were shot in his direction. The dirty mugs and empty wrappers on the floor proved he had eaten something, but he honestly could not remember where they had come from. He was locked in a prison of his own memories- a land of what ifs and what should have been.

He had visited Teresa Lisbon once. The evening of 'the incident' he made his way to the hospital after hours needing to convince his overworked mind that she was indeed alive. The stark interior of the hospital haunted his consciousness. He was surrounded by blank walls that seemed to mock him with their purity as his footsteps echoed down the empty hallway. He paced in front of her room for several minutes before deeply inhaling and entering the room only to be greeted with the visage of a man he dreaded to see. Virgil Minelli sat at the side of his lead agent's bed slouched in an undersized plastic chair with his head buried in his hands.

"_Hello, Patrick," the director said in a worn voice. Jane cringed and waited for the verbal lashing that was sure to correlate with any injury to the brunette agent. The angry words never came and when Jane met the gaze of the older man he was tempted to walk out of the hospital and out of the state of California. Nothing was worse than the disappointment he found in the director's eyes._

"_How is she?" Jane asked quietly as he moved to Lisbon's other side. He winced at her ragged appearance and the haunted look that still lingered on her sleeping face. The beeping of the monitors was enough to drive him crazy, but a part of him was relieved every time he heard the repeated beep. It meant she was still with him._

"_She's in a medically induced coma in order to let her body heal without the effects of the mental stress. She came out of surgery fine-the bullet was embedded half an inch into her side, but thankfully missed any major organs. Two of her ribs are cracked and she has a mild concussion from hitting the cement floor," Minelli answered. _

_His practiced eye caught Jane's sharp intake of breath and he silently watched as the consultant lightly stroked Lisbon's hand. He knew there was some truth to the rumors surrounding the two, but he wasn't sure how they would carry on after the traumatic events of the past few hours. He only hoped they wouldn't push each other away. _

"_I'm going to grab some coffee. Would you mind staying with her for a few minutes," Minelli asked gruffly, knowing the man could use some time alone to voice his thoughts. Jane slowly nodded as his thumb continued to lightly brush over Lisbon's hand. _

The sound of a car horn outside jerked the consultant out of his thoughts as his eyes swept around the darkened office. He hadn't been back to see her. He couldn't face her, even with Minelli's frequent attempts to get him to the hospital throughout the week especially after Ben had stopped by. The rest of the team ignored him, but he had been able to catch updates about her condition from the snippets of conversation they exchanged before realizing he was listening.

"_She's awake," Cho announced to Rigsby and Van Pelt. The rookie brightened up as she spun towards the Asian man. Her joyful expression faltered when she noticed the despair in his eyes._

"_What's wrong?" she asked softly._

"_She asked to see Ben," Cho said sharply. His eyes were burning with fury, and Jane could feel his own expression narrow. Rigsby and Van Pelt waited for him to continue. "There were a lot of angry words, but I couldn't make out much." He paused. "The bastard left her sobbing."_

"_But it wasn't her fault!" Van Pelt vehemently protested. _

"_She'll carry the burden though," Rigsby added seriously. "That's how the boss works. She'll twist it in her mind, and nothing we say will be of any help._

"_It wouldn't matter," Cho replied. "She's been completely unresponsive ever since." His eyes were downcast and he raised them with a haunted expression. "I've never seen her like that. Her eyes were just…dead," he said with a shudder._

"_She'll be okay," Van Pelt said more to reassure herself. "She has us."_

"_This time, I'm not sure that will be enough," Cho added softly._

"_It will have to be," Van Pelt replied firmly._

Jane lifted his head with a sigh. She had remained unresponsive and refused to answer or even acknowledge anyone. She just stared out the window, her once sparkling eyes now dead and glazed over. She was a shell of the woman she had been, and she was being released today.

According to the doctors, she was healing just find and would probably be more comfortable in her own home. They were adamant that she see someone upon recovery, and Jane wondered about the reaction that statement had caused seeing how it was the psychologist's fault in the first place.

He slowly stood and made his way across the bullpen. Resting his hand on the cold metal doorknob, he entered Lisbon's office without a sound. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkened interior as he sunk down into her leather office chair. It smelled like her. Inhaling deeply, he allowed the citrus scent to wash over him as his fingers ran across the mahogany desk.

His fingers absentmindedly toyed with the papers still spread out over the surface. The office looked like she had only stepped out for coffee, and Jane felt a new wave of guilt wash over him. It had all been for nothing, and he remembered the moment vividly.

He recalled the controlled terror in her eyes when she saw her nephew clutched in the grasp of a madman. Watched as she separated her personal feelings form the moment and did what needed to be done. He thought his job was over after he turned the attention on himself. The last thing he remembered was seeing Lewis release the boy as he slipped out to follow Red John.

_He ran after the masked man. His lungs were burning, and he wasn't sure what he would do if he actually caught up with the murderer. Red John stopped suddenly and Jane heard a faint gunshot. He assumed Lisbon had taken down Lewis, and his concentration shifted fully to the man in front of him. He could see the faint outline of the man's lips curve into a gruesome smile beneath the mask, and Jane felt his heart thud deep in his chest as he glanced for anything he could fashion into a weapon. Another gunshot rang out. _

"_That woman sure is something," the killer said in a raspy voice. "I've been tempted to take her for myself. I'm sure she would provide much entertainment-so strong, so beautiful. However, I'm not sure it was a wise decision to leave her, Mr. Jane." Jane felt his blood run cold as he took a step backward._

"_It's your decision, Mr. Jane: me or her."_

"_I choose her," he replied as he quickly turned and sprinted back to the building with the chilling sound of the serial killer's laughter following him._

"_We'll meet again, Mr. Jane. We'll meet again." Jane heard the words echo through the wind as he raced back to the woman that had given him reason to move on._

Jane froze when his fingers found the glossy surface of a photograph. It had been taken a few weeks ago during an ordered day off. Minelli had protested Lisbon's numerous vacation days and ordered the team to take her somewhere to relax. They had driven to the beach with Lisbon pouting the whole way. He smiled as he remembered the scene.

She had been stretched out on a towel, looking sinfully appealing when he sat down beside her. She cracked an eye open and glared at him before sitting up with a sigh. Someone had captured the exact moment that she turned to look at him. Her expression was amused as a playful smile crossed her face. She looked beautiful in the golden light, but it was his own expression that made him stop.

His head was turned towards her and a soft smile played across his features. It was a smile that he hadn't seen in years-not since he packed his last family portrait away. Lisbon must have confiscated the photograph from Cho. the man was a closet shutterbug as was setermined to capture some team moments in one of their rare oportunities to relax. He drew in a shaky breath as his finger lightly traced the figures in the portrait, and then in the safety of the darkened office Patrick Jane cried.


	16. Chapter 16

**Wow. This was the hardest chapter ever to write. It's just so out of character to write Lisbon like this even if it is in character for this situation. I think I erased it and started over 4 or 5 times. I'm still unsure of how it came out though. Sigh. Several of y'all will recognize the last section as the beginning of Princess of Tides. I have changed and added a few lines so it flows, and we will see Jane's point of view in the next chapter. I hope y'all enjoy it!**

**Oh! I started a new livejournal account under the username DiviniaSerit. I'm going to post banners, avatars, and stuff there so feel free to add me if you wish!**

**A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed the last chapter! I don't know if anyone else is having this problem, but it won't let me respond to reviews or give me chapter updates today. I don't know = ( I'm sorry to those of you who didn't get review replies! Maybe it'll be back up tomorrow?! Is anyone else having this problem?**

**Thank you to: ELODIE WOLFE, PHEONIXWYTCH, JOCELYNMC, CATERINA, KHALEK, KATHIANN, TROMANA, CHOCOLATEFAN, TIVA4EVA, LALEZ, SHOPPINGLUVA, NELLIE, JADESTAR, PENELOPE, and EMMA BERLIN.**

Chapter 16

Teresa Lisbon clenched and unclenched her hands as she stared at the blank wall in front of her. Ignoring the burning pain in her side, she pulled her legs up to her chest and sunk into the scratchy hospital pillow. She refused to call for pain medicine-it was her penance for her failure. She turned her head to the side with a grimace and her gaze swept over the stark hospital room. She was being released today and she wasn't sure how to handle that idea.

She felt so tired, so cold, and so empty and the only solace she found was by retreating into the sanctuary of her own mind. It was something she hadn't done since she was a child, but it was the only way to escape the horrors that plagued her thoughts. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the bloody body of her nephew reaching out for her. She could feel his little fingers slip through her grasp as he stared up at her with an accusing expression.

She let out a whimper as a tear trickled down her cheek. She made no move to wipe it as the events from the past few days came rushing back in Technicolor, replaying over and over like a movie stuck on repeat. She wanted to scream and beg someone to tell her it had all been a nightmare. But she was alone, surrounded by machines, by science, by sterility.

"_What the fuck did you do?" Ben seethed as he stared at the woman in front of him. His anger clouded his judgment and blinded him to her own injuries and even to the fact that she was his own sister. His harsh gaze demanded her attention and she couldn't tear herself from his gaze._

"_I'm sorry, Ben. We did everything we could," she said softly as she looked her brother in the eye. His intensity strengthened and she felt a pool of shame and guilt threaten to overtake her. Pushing her emotions aside, she tried to clear her head when a fist slammed into the side of her face._

"_You killed them both," he raved. She saw stars and the pounding in her head intensified. Her vision blurred when she slowly raised her head to face him again. A tear escaped her as old memories were dredged up, and she briefly wondered what had happened to the little boy she had practically raised._

"_I'm sorry," she said again as her lower lip trembled. She closed her eyes when her stomach became unsettled, and she knew the slap hadn't helped her concussion any. Without another word Ben stormed out of the room, slamming the door as he left._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered as the tears began to fall freely from her eyes. She turned her head towards the wall as sobs racked her body. Crying for those who had been lost, she wondered how she had managed to lose almost all of the little family she had left._

Her eyes glistened as emotions rained down on her, and she tried to slow her breathing before the nurses noticed the increased rate on her heart machine. She fought back waves of nausea as Ben's words pounded into her head. The bruise on the side of her face was finally beginning to fade, and thankfully no one had mentioned the addition of yet another injury.

Blinking her eyes at the harsh sunlight that streamed through the window, her thoughts flickered to Patrick Jane and she felt another wave of disappointment flood through her body. She thought she had been worth his attention, but evidently his affection had been another ruse to find Red John. She was the means to an end. At first, she stubbornly refused to believe he had left her and she clung to the hope that his cheerful face would brighten her stark hotel room. She was wrong. He never came, and she was left alone once more.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the nurse who thrust a clipboard into her lap. Without bothering to read the discharge papers, she signed them and slipped back into her mind once more. She wondered if one of the agents was coming to pick her up, or if she should just call a cab. Silently, she collected her belongings and headed to the exit.

The nurse at the front helped her arrange a cab home with a frown. Obviously the nurse believed everyone should have someone available to take them home. Teresa smiled a hollow smile. She didn't want to bother anyone. Slipping in to the yellow cab, she laid her head against the window and missed the sight of Rigsby and Van Pelt heading into the hospital. Leaning forward, she gave the driver a different address and closed her eyes.

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Grace Van Pelt cursed the California traffic that was holding them up. Lisbon was due to be released ten minutes ago, and she wanted to be there to help her boss home. It was clear to see that Lisbon had withdrawn from everyone and everything, and no one knew how to react. Grace felt it was her duty to be there after the incident with Lewis. She still felt guilty.

This case had torn the team apart. Lisbon refused to respond to anyone, Jane moped around while Cho and Rigsby ignored the consultant. Van Pelt wasn't sure that was the right way to handle the situation, but she wasn't thrilled with Jane's decision to leave Lisbon alone with a serial killer. Everyone was tense and no one knew how to fix it.

Pushing open the hospital door, she could only hope time would heal them. She knew Minelli had recalled Charlie and his wife from witness protection, and Grace hoped that he would be able to help pull Lisbon out of her depression. Stopping at the front desk, the nurse frowned when Van Pelt gave Lisbon's name.

"She left a little while ago," the nurse said with a glare. "She didn't look good, but the doctor cleared her." Grace exchanged a worried look with Rigsby as they headed back to the car.

"I want to stop by her house," Grace said suddenly. "See if she needs anything." Rigsby nodded and the two agents continued the drive in silence.

Arriving at Lisbon's apartment, they nervously headed to the front door. Rigsby knocked once and they waited for several minutes with no answer. Knocking again provided the same result. Grace sighed and hoped Lisbon would forgive her as she nodded to Rigsby who barreled into the door with his shoulder. It burst open, spilling outside light into the dark interior. Grace frowned as they picked their way through only to discover what she had known all along. Lisbon wasn't there.

She slipped outside quietly and pulled her phone out. Hitting a speed dial number, she waited and willed the man to pick up the phone. She was pleasantly surprised at the sad hello she received, and knew that the others were being ridiculous. This whole situation was killing Jane, and none of them had even tried to find out the real story. She was ashamed.

"Jane? It's Van Pelt. Lisbon's gone."

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She could feel the spray of salt water stick to her sun-burnt face as the wind whipped through her tousled hair. Her eyes were closed as she leaned against the pier, while her fingers absentmindedly fiddled with a loose string on her sleeve. The undercurrents of an approaching storm electrified the air as the sun began to set. She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she stood alone against a backdrop of meandering dunes. She wasn't even sure why she had asked the driver to bring her here.

Silently, she untied her shoes and carefully placed them on the boardwalk. Shrugging out of her blazer, she rolled her pant legs up before walking down the stairs, ignoring the pain that grew in her side. She could feel the worn surface of the old wood under her bare feet as she made her way to the sand below. She sighed as she sunk into the warm, dry sand. Each individual particle seemed to scratch at her skin, eager to imprint its memory of paths long traveled.

She continued to walk with uncertain purpose past the drift line where shells and dead seaweed were haphazardly strewn about, unable to return to the distant waters that stranded them at high tide. The sand started to moisten and sink between her toes as she steadily moved forward leaving a vanishing path of faint imprints. A tiny pool of water encircled her feet as the water continued its eternal journey: ebb and flow, ebb and flow.

She paused then, the water lapping at her feet like a stray dog longing for someone to come closer, to ease the loneliness. Her emerald eyes took on a vacant expression as the luster faded and she closed them once more. She was tired of trying, tired of failing. She inhaled deeply and the salty air stung her lungs as a flash of lightning danced across the sky. A lone tear streaked down her cheek and fell unhindered to the swirling water below.

She remembered when the beach held blissful memories, whimsical adventures with imaginary creatures. As a child, she demanded that her father help her build an elaborate sandcastle so that she may survey her surrounding kingdom. A princess of the sea, her brothers would often wage war upon her, dragging her back to their watery kingdom. Her father would sweep in and rescue the fair princess, pulling her from the sea monsters' grasp as her mother's laugh would ring out across the beach. Those days shattered along with the family sedan and no one was there to rescue her again.

A low rumble of thunder startled her out of her reflection. She took another step into the surf, then another. Blindly placing one foot in front of the other, the seaweed threatened to ensnare her as it curled around her ankles. As Ophelia had her flowers, she would have her seaweed. It wasn't love that broke her heart, but the wrongness of the world, the destruction of innocence. A vision of Jeremy flashed before her eyes once more and she let out a sob. It wasn't fair.

The water was up to her waist and the waves gently broke around her. She turned her face upward to the night sky as a soft mist started to fall. She cried freely then, her tears mixing with the rain and the sea. She never looked back as she felt the tide beckon to her, pulling her farther and farther from the so called safety of dry land.

As a rookie she thought she would be able to make a difference. Those words probably graced every young person's thoughts she later decided. It was the dream of the young: to make a difference, to be remembered. It was all in vain. The world she had vowed to change had instead chewed her up and stripped away her innocence, leaving her like a ship along the coast without a lighthouse as the rocky cliffs loomed ahead.

A jagged bolt of lightning flashed closer as she took a deep breath and submerged her head under the crashing surf. It would be so easy to just let go and drift away to the seaside kingdom of her childhood. Her thoughts flashed to her team and she wondered if they were too caught up in their own charade to notice her as she slowly lost her grasp on her sanity. It would devastate them, but she was tired of living for others. She longed to do something selfish for once. Another piece of her soul was ripped away and she didn't know if she could be fixed this time.

She wondered if Jane would understand. He was so willing to lay down his life for a selfish cause, but would he accept that others had the same right? She had spent many a sleepless night praying to a God she no longer believed in to allow him to see that others cared. She cared. It wasn't enough. Like everyone else in her life, he had left her. Dreams of a fictional life would not save her from the demons that threatened to overtake her as she submerged herself once more.


	17. Chapter 17

**YAY! A quicker update-y'all should all be very proud of me! This was such an amazingly fun chapter to write, and I hope I caught the emotions and everything. I really enjoyed writing this part from Jane's point of view and I hope y'all enjoy it as well! There's still a few more chapters to go-I think I'm going to bring Charlie back for a little more loving!**

**Another quick question-I've been told that I should lower the rating to T since it's really not that bad. The only reason I rated it M was because of the violence, but I didn't put as much in as I had originally planned. The worst is now over, so what do y'all think? I appreciate the opinions!**

**This chapter's dedicated to Tiva4eva who is always so enthusiastic and leaves the happiest reviews, and Khalek and lalez who have been really consistent with feedback, and caterina whose review made me smile!!! Also, apparently this story has healing powers and cured EmmaBerlin! YAY! Also thank you to the new reviewers! I really appreciated your comments!**

**Big thank you to: FALLINTOAHELLCALLEDLOVE, PHEONIX WYTCH, RANDOMUNDERTHESUM, CHOCOLATELOVER, TROMANA(TWIN), KHALEK, LALEZ, BOTTLEOFSTARS, JADESTAR, KATHIANN, PENELOPELOUISE, CELTICGINA, WILDDAISIES, EMMABERLIN, MYGOLDENGLOW, CATERINA, and NELLIE. Thank you all!**

Chapter 17

If anyone thought it was unusual that Patrick Jane refused to budge from Teresa Lisbon's office, they wisely kept their mouths shut. Jane had expertly schooled his expression into a neutral mask when the others arrived later that morning, and continued to stare out the window. The morning sunrise had been tinted with red, and he couldn't help but think of the old sailor's adage- Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. He had a feeling a storm was brewing.

He saw Grace glance his way several times that morning, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly. If anyone would break this high school silent treatment, it would be Grace. She was the peacemaker of their little ragtag team and he hoped she would convince the other two to give him a second chance. Then again, he didn't deserve it. It could all be traced back to his ego which caused Red John to set his sights on his family and eventually on Teresa Lisbon.

Watching Rigsby escort Van Pelt out of the office, Jane sighed and he rested his weary face in his palms. Guilt started to creep over him, and he wished he had gone to see Lisbon sooner. He snarled as he banged his fist on the table loudly. He was supposed to be an expert in reading people. How the hell had he missed the signs that Dr. David Lewis had been emitting? The man had even died with a smile on his face knowing he had gotten the last laugh.

He never even noticed how much time had passed when his phone rang. The happy tones startled him out of his downward spiral as he glanced at the display. It was Van Pelt. A small frown crossed over his face as he debated whether to answer it. Granted, it was the first time all week one of the other agents had even made an effort at contacting him. Apprehensively, he raised it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Jane. It's Van Pelt. Lisbon's gone."

A cold feeling of dread washed over him as the red head informed him that Lisbon had discharged herself and left before they even arrived. Her house was empty, and she was in no condition to be out wandering around. He stared off into space and frantically tried to think of where she might go. He could predict the path her thoughts were taking and he was worried. She was alone and felt responsible for losing almost half of her family. His gaze swept over her office before finally settling on the tear stained picture lying on her desk, and in an instant he knew where she had gone.

He heard Cho's cell phone ring and he watched as the Asian man's face was bathed in concern. He could see his mouth moving in clipped replies as he headed out of the bullpen. He was probably headed to brief Minelli and Jane didn't envy the other man's job. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience to tell the director that they had lost his best agent who also happened to be injured. As soon as the other man was out of sight, Jane quietly slipped out of the bullpen.

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Returning to the bullpen, Cho felt his stomach drop when he he realized he was alone. Peering into Lisbon's office, he sighed and wondered where Jane had run off to. He honestly didn't know how Lisbon put up with him. Glancing about her darkened office, a small photo caught his eye. He pressed his lips together when he recognized the picture that had been haphazardly left on the mahogany desk. Minelli had demanded Lisbon take some time off, and so the team ventured to the beach. She was unusually relaxed that day, and the team enjoyed watching her interact with the capricious consultant. He had forgotten he had snapped that particular picture, and his frown deepened as he studied the expression of the two subjects. Maybe he was being too hard on that moment, Rigsby and Van Pelt rushed in with worried expressions. Cho met them halfway with a determined stance.

"I know where they are."

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Jane prayed that his intuition was right as he peeled into the parking lot closest to the boardwalk. Traffic had amazingly been on his side, and he was positive he had broken several speed records in getting to his destination. He paid no attention to the painted lines on the pavement as he threw his Citroen in park and practically leaped out of his car.

He could feel the sticky saltiness as the humid air enveloped him. It threatened to choke him as his feet pounded against the concrete, each step sending a jolt through his body. A streak of lightning flashed in the distance, and he could feel the wind pick up.

The jagged wood of the railing tore into his skin, but Jane never noticed. His eyes were locked onto the sensible leather flats that were carefully arranged on top of a familiar, folded blazer. His heart leapt into his throat as his eyes scanned the horizon. He could feel the sand whip into his face and he spun around several times begging to catch a glimpse of the brunette woman. He choked out a breath as it started to drizzle and he turned his head up to the heavens and begged.

"Please just let me find her," he cried into the approaching storm. "I'll do anything, just don't do this!"

Time seemed to slow to a complete stop as lightning illuminated the silhouette of a man standing in front of a backdrop of dunes. His arms were outstretched as if he were offering himself to any form that would give in to his desire as a lone seagull flew overhead.

And then he saw it. At first he thought it was a trick of the light-a brief glimpse of green to tease his senses and drive him into insanity. And then he saw it again. Lightning flashed once more directly overhead the small figure of a woman who had resurfaced from the angry waves. Oh god, he thought as he opened his mouth in a silent prayer.

"Teresa!" he screamed to no avail. His heartbroken cry was lost in the crashing surf and rolling thunder. His feet began to move of his own accord as he sprinted across the sand. A dark jacket and vest softly floated to the ground behind the form of the running man and quickly began to tumble in the sand.

Bounding into the water he cursed the awkwardness of his bulky clothing and shoes that slowed his approach to the woman in front of him. The water pulled at him. It felt like hands were dragging him to a watery grave. He didn't care about his safety. If he couldn't reach her in time, he wouldn't care about fighting the strengthening tide. There would be nothing else to live for.

She went under again, and he began to panic. He fixated on the spot he had last seen her and swam with all his strength. Spitting out salt water as he went, he could feel the tears streaming down his face. He should have been there for her. He should have known. He pushed his regrets out of his mind, in order to focus at the goal at hand when he caught another bit of green beneath the water.

Blindly reaching out, his arms encircled her small form and he hauled her to his chest. She didn't react at first. Her body felt like a dead weight as he hauled her back several feet to where he was able to stand a little easier. He felt her splutter as she coughed up seawater, and he realized how close it had been. If he had been seconds later, he would have lost her forever. He managed to spin her around so she was facing him while his hands wandered through her hair, and his lips lightly brushed over her face. Tears racked his body as he crushed her form to him.

"Forgive me. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me," he whispered quietly as she burrowed her face in the side of his neck. He could feel her warm breath come in short gasps across his skin as she began to shake. She pressed herself to him and clung tightly as the current strengthened and the lightning danced across the sky.

He pulled back then, and lost himself in her eyes. Cupping her face gently, he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears that spilled down her cheeks. She looked so broken, so numb, and he felt his heart shatter once more. She leaned into the touch of his hand, and he saw a faint flicker of life in her dull eyes. Leaning towards her, his lips lightly brushed against her own. Their kiss was chapped and salty, but it full of reassurance.

Tucking her head under his chin, he reached an arm under her knees and scooped her into his arms. He was surprised at how light she was as he fought the angry pull of the tide as he trudged back to shore. He cradled her against him, and he could feel her sling to him with all the strength she had left.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered against her hair as he broke free of the oppressive water and stumbled onto dry land with a groan.


	18. Chapter 18

**Whew. Once again I apologize for the major delay! I live in the Atlanta area and we've had a massive flood the past few days. I swear-only GA can go from severe drought to severe flood. Houses and cars were underwater and even the roller coasters at six flags were halfway under water. It was crazy. Needless to say, I've had a lot of power problems, so I wrote an extra long chapter to make it up to y'all!**

**I really like this chapter. We get to see team reactions and Jane and Lisbon finally have that conversation. I've actually finished with my original outline, but I don't want to end it just yet. I feel like I took so long to unravel them, that I need to spend some time putting Jane and Lisbon back together! I really don't know how many chapters I'll add, but just know that we are near the end… so sad!**

**Season 2 premiers tomorrow and I'm super excited! Plus, I got an e-mail from Amazon saying my copy of Season 1 has been shipped! YAY! This chapter's dedicated to my friend Ebony10 who's been in Japan for the past month and I think will return this weekend. Have a safe trip back and I can't wait for you to catch up on this story!**

**A big thank you to: TIVA4EVA, KHALEK, ELODIE WOLFE, TROMANA, SHOPPINGLUVA, PHOENIX WYTCH, CATERINA, KATHIANN, PENELOPE LOUISE, MALIANG, LALEZ, WILD DAISIES, JELLOFANATIC, FALLINTOAHELLCALLEDLOVE (welcome back!), JADESTAR, ALITTLEINSANE, EMMA BERLIN, MYGOLDENGLOW, and NELLIE. I'm replying to last chapters' reviews now!**

**Chapter 18**

Patrick Jane gently breathed a sigh of relief as Lisbon buried her face in his neck. He could feel her warm breath gently blow across his neck, and it reassured him to feel the sign of life. Padding across the sand in his socks, he headed to a picnic area with a pavilion. He could feel the woman in his arms shivering, but he wanted to check her over before heading back to the car.

As the rainfall increased, he hoped it would lessen before they had to climb the boardwalk to get back to the parking lot. A loud clap of thunder rand across the beach when they reached the overhang. He gently sat her on top of the nearest picnic table, reluctant to remove his arms from around her because as long as she remained in his grasp, he knew she was safe.

Teresa Lisbon had wanted to forget. This time she felt like she there was no remedy, no cure, no glue to mend what this case had broken inside her. Inside the cab, she was beyond caring-she just wanted to lose herself. Everything else became secondary. She stared into Jane's eyes, and willed herself to believe that he had kept his promise, that he was really there right in front of her.

"You're alright," he breathed as the panic in his eyes abated. "You didn't answer your phone. I couldn't find you." His concerned gaze racked over her drenched body and his hands traveled all over her damp skin. The skin to skin contact began to reassure them both. Her head tilted upward toward his.

"You're here," she whispered. She blinked slowly. It was as if she was worried he would disappear any minute. Jane's knees felt weak and he slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic breathing of the man that surrounded her as the waves crashed in the background.

"We're going to have to talk about this," he said in a stern, yet soft voice. He could feel her exhale deeply, but was surprised when she didn't argue back. He knew it would be a long road to travel in order to bring Teresa Lisbon back to being herself. They sat in silence for a few minutes, when suddenly her soft voice broke the silence.

"Why did you come?"

He opened his mouth to answer when the sound of squealing tires echoed across the beach. Through the rain, he saw the faint outline of Wayne Rigsby come flying down the boardwalk. He was followed by Cho and Van Pelt. He could see the panic and tension radiating from the three agents, and they visibly relaxed when they caught sight of their boss in Jane's arms.

Jane could feel Lisbon stiffen in his arms, and he was glad she was showing some sort of reaction rather that the numbness that had overwhelmed her the past few days. The other agents quickly darted into the pavilion and stood, catching their breaths, as they dripped water. Jane could see Cho's eyes intelligently piecing together the situation, and he wondered if he should break the silence.

Kimball Cho analyzed the scene in front of him. Jane and Lisbon were drenched and shoeless which explained the various articles of clothing they had passed during their mad dash across the beach. She seemed alright, although he was surprised to see her sitting so comfortably in Jane's lap. Her head was leaning against the consultant's chest as her eyes warily surveyed her team and Jane's arms were protectively holding her to him. It was the most alive he had seen her in the past week. He lowered his guard and nodded at Jane.

"You two okay?" Cho asked. His eyes met Jane's.

"Doing fine-just decided to stand in the rain for a bit," he added naturally. It wasn't his place to tell, and if Lisbon wanted them to know the details she could tell them herself. He knew he had done the right thing, when he felt her relax in his arms. Still looking at Cho, he knew the Asian man probably had an inkling of what really had occurred. A few moments passed before the others sat down on the floor as they waited for the storm to pass.

"Why did you leave?" Lisbon murmured. Jane grimaced when the other three agents snapped their heads towards the pair. Although they tried to not appear to interested in the conversation, Jane knew that particular thought lingered at the back of everyone's minds.

"I never actually left," he said softly. His vision glazed over as events from that moment replayed in his mind. "I stepped outside to follow Red John after I saw Lewis release… release the boy. I thought I had done everything I could and thought you had the situation under control." He could feel the tension rise and he absentmindedly began to run his hand over her arm.

"I had Red John cornered and I was looking for something to use as a weapon when he told me I had to choose." Jane paused and he could feel the intense stares as they processed his words. "I chose you," he added softly and he both felt and heard her sharp intake of breath. She turned her head so their eyes could meet and he could see the questions in her gaze.

Van Pelt turned away from the sight of her boss and the consultant. It seemed to personal of a moment to intrude on, and she began to process the meaning of Jane's answer. He had never left, and they had taken out their anger on him. He had probably been hurting even more, and yet they pushed him away and ignored him, treating him like he was scum that should be on the other side of the interrogation glass. She felt awful…horrible that once again they had misjudged the man in front of them.

An unspoken conversation continued to pass between Lisbon and Jane before Lisbon rested her head once more against Jane's chest. Cho swallowed deeply as he realized the implications of Jane's confession, and he knew he owed the consultant an apology. He groaned-how could he have been so stupid? He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and realized there was a break in the storm. Hauling himself to his feet, Cho glanced at the others.

"We should go before it gets worse," he stated. Rigsby and Van Pelt nodded before heading towards the car, while Cho hung back. He watched as Jane helped Lisbon up, and supported her by keeping his hand on the small of her back. He was surprised the petite agent hadn't shrugged off Jane's hovering, and he hoped this would help mend things between the team.

"Take me home, Jane," he heard Lisbon say. Jane looked like he wanted to argue, but reconsidered after taking another long look at the woman before him. He nodded and turned to Cho.

"Do you mind taking her car back to headquarters?" he asked softly and Cho held out his hand for the keys.

"I'm sorry, man. I was out of line," the Asian man said as he locked eyes with Jane. A half smile crossed Jane's face, and Cho realized that whatever they had interrupted earlier was doing wonders for healing the two people in front of him.

"No worries," Jane replied as he escorted Lisbon to the Citroen leaving Cho to ponder the relationship of his boss and her consultant. Shaking his head with a small smile, he was relieved that he could now report some good news to Minelli.

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Teresa Lisbon was curled up in her overstuffed armchair when Jane handed her a cup of tea. He gave her an easygoing smile, but she could still see a glimpse of the tension behind his mask. She took it with a small smile and inhaled the herbal aroma. Her fingers tingled from the warmth of the mug and she took a moment to enjoy the feeling of heat sweeping through her body. They sat in comfortable silence while they each observed the other over the rim of their mug.

"Why did you come?" Lisbon repeated out of the blue. Jane carefully set his mug down on her coffee table and looked her in the eye.

"I was worried," he looked down as emotions began to swell inside him. "I care about you…much more than I should." He raised his eyes and noticed she was staring at him with a wide-eyed expression. Her hand was shaking slightly, and he quickly stood and removed the cup from her hand. Sitting on the ottoman in front of her chair, he took her hands in his.

"Why?" he asked as his voice wavered slightly. Her eyes darted downwards and she tried to jerk her hands away, but Jane held on tightly.

"What do you mean, why?" she asked as she continued to look away.

"I know you, Teresa. This isn't you." Jane willed her to look at him, but she still refused.

"What makes you think you know me still?" she couldn't help but bluntly retort. Jane flinched at the hostility in her voice. She immediately regretted her words, but she was still hurting.

"I thought I knew you very well. I think we know each other better than we do ourselves," he responded. He had left her once. He refused to let her defense mechanisms drive him away again. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because it doesn't matter anymore," she exclaimed. "These feelings of yours are nothing but an illusion. You're still in love with your wife. I just need to forget and get over this, and I'll be as good as new." His eyes widened and he studied her intensely. He raised his hand to stroke her cheek, but she darted out of his way and continued with her speech.

"After my father died, child services promised to try and keep my brothers and me together. No one wanted to foster an angry and rebellious teenaged girl. I remember being forced to get all dressed up, only for the family to change their mind at the last minute. After that, I picked myself up and made myself get over the excitement and expectations of being loved, and I was fine."

She forced the story out in one breath. It had been a long time since she had revisited those days, but this case had dredged up all sorts of bad memories. She couldn't look at Jane after her revelations. This was a part of her life she had never told anyone, but at this moment, she found it strangely fitting to share with Jane. Rejection had been a constant in her life. Rejection and shattered dreams. She must have gotten lost in her thoughts, because all of a sudden, she felt Jane's arms wrap around her and they jostled her back to the present.

"What if I don't want you to forget?" he whispered as he crushed her to him. She pulled back and studied him with her sad eyes.

"Please don't do this. I need to accept my life and know that there are some things I can't have. Just let me go, Jane." He shook his head.

"I'm not letting go, Lisbon. I'm not leaving you," he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I loved my wife, and part of me always will. She was the perfect housewife-always playing hostess, involved in the community, but we did have our problems." He paused and raised her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"She wasn't you. No one can measure up to you."


	19. Chapter 19

**Holy crap! Chapter 19 and we're over 30,000 words! I can't believe I had it in me to write another epic story so soon after Looking Glass! Sorry the updates are slower-but I feel like these next few chapters can't be rushed. I'm really pleased with how this chapter turned out, and I think y'all will enjoy it! I thought their conversation was about over, but when I sat down to write this one, they hijacked me. Apparently, much more needed to be said! Charlie and the team should be back in the next chapter! YAY!**

**This one's dedicated to twin! I stayed up extra late in order to have this posted for when you wake up! Thanks for being so encouraging! You'll never know how much I appreciate you! Woah, I totally just used a ton of exclamation marks!!! Once again, I wrote this at midnight, so I'm sure there are typos!**

**Thank you to: ELODIE WOLFE, FALLINTOAHELLCALLEDLOVE, TIVA4EVA, KATHIANN, LALEZ, TROMANA, SHOPPINGLUVA, YASMINBANU, KHALEK, CELTICGINA, WILDDAISIES, PENELOPE LOUISE, JELLOFANATIC, NELLIE, JADESTAR, EBONY10 (welcome back!) and PHEONYXWYTCH. The response to this story has overwhelmed me and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to leave me such awesome reviews and wonderful compliments!**

**Chapter 19**

Her eyes widened as Jane's confession hit her full force. Her head was spinning, and she opened her mouth to suck in a deep breath. He couldn't mean it, and yet here he was in front of her, watching her with a mix of concern and apprehension and she was unable to tear her gaze from his. She blinked slowly, her mind racing to come up with some form of an intelligent answer, but all she could manage was opening and closing her mouth like a startled guppy.

Jane could feel her pulse race beneath his hold on her wrist, and he was worried he might have shattered the last semblance of normality in her life. She was scared, and the next few minutes would determine whether she would run or stay. His breathing became more shallow as he considered the possibility that he might have lost her forever. However, it was a risk worth taking. She needed to know that he wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

"What do you want from me, Jane?"

Her voice had taken on a childlike quality laced with pain that chilled him to the core. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and make everything else go away. It drew him out of his comfort zone. He had never been one to deal with feelings. He preferred to hide behind the glitz and glamour, pretending that everything was just fine. He felt incredibly unequipped to handle the feelings the woman in front of him stirred.

"I want to redo the past few weeks," he said with a sigh, knowing that one wrong word could send her back into her downward spiral. He tried to read the faint expression that flickered across her face. She had raised her guard and was quickly sinking back into herself. "I want another chance."

"What good will that do?"

Her question stumped him, and for once he was at a loss with how to answer. He could promise her the stars in the moon, but he wasn't sure he could push away his own insecurities at failing at the relationship. He could promise to change, but he wasn't sure how much weight his words would carry with her anymore. He didn't want to lie to her just because he was desperate to salvage their relationship.

"I don't want to make empty promises," he finally answered. "I'm not sure their will be any drastic changes. I'm still me, but I think these events have given me the motivation to try and be what you want. I want you to trust me again."

"What about Red John?" Her voice trembled slightly while asking the loaded question. He sighed, but refused to break eye contact.

"Red John has been my obsession since my family was murdered. It will always be something we'll have to consider because of who I am…and who you are."

"And he will be the most important thing in your life no matter what," she stated softly, rather than asked as she looked at their intertwined hands.

He considered her words for a moment, and wondered if Red John was still the most important thing in his life. There was a time he had been consumed with the need for revenge, but he was starting to realize that that urge was started to fade. He still wanted the bastard to pay for his crimes, but now he wasn't so sure he wanted to give up everything for some unreachable quest.

She had changed it- had caused him to reprioritize his life. It left him stranded in unfamiliar waters grasping at lifelines and floundering for control. He could not bear to think about what his life would be reduced to if she was missing from it. He shuddered at the thought that she had almost been ripped away from him. How could he look at her and say that Red John was the most important thing in his life? Belatedly, he looked up and studied her. Her emerald eyes were glassy from unshed tears and he could see the anger and frustration masked inside. He could also see the pain, sadness, and confusion that she struggled to keep hidden from his appraising eye.

"No, Teresa. He's not," he quietly declared. She sharply inhaled, her grasp involuntarily tightening on his hand. Confusion won out as she battled her emotions, and he watched in awe as her eyes started to clear.

"Patrick?" she whispered, his name like a soft caress from her lips. He could sense the questions in her soft lilt.

"Red John will always be a factor, but there are other things that are more important."

"Such as…" she trailed off and he could feel the tension rise between them.

"Work, friends," he listed the easy answers first before meeting her gaze intensely. "You." She nodded slowly, as if finally accepting the truth of his statements.

"What do you suggest we do?" she asked softly. Her fingers began to trace absentminded patterns on his palms and he knew that she was nervous.

"Let me take care of you," he blurted out. Her eyes narrowed slightly and he quickly backpedaled to clarify his statement. "I know that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but at the moment you are not doing that. You haven't been eating, you're having nightmares, and what happened today…Let me be there when you need someone to lean on. I can take care of you as much or as little as you'd like. Please."

He watched her intently to wait for her reply. His resolve seemed to have strengthened after his little speech, and he knew, in his gut, that he was doing the right thing. He needed her to be well, even if she would never give him another chance. That was the most important in his life right now. Just as he would give his life to keep her from being harmed, he would let her set the pace and the distance between them as long as she would be content and well.

It was the please that caught her attention and broke the spell as she snapped back to reality. She basked in the warmth of his gaze, and she slowly started to realize what her actions had done to the man in front of her. No thought had been given to her actions today, and she was surprised that she had almost carried through with something she never dreamed she would even think of. It had all been a mistake, and once again, she owed her life to the man in front of her. The man who anchored her in this word, and who had for the first time in her life, made her feel wanted and loved.

Without warning, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. He could still taste the salty wetness of her tears as his hands tangled in her hair. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she gasped when he deepened the kiss, demanding entrance to her mouth. It was nothing like the kiss they shared at the beach. That had been sweet and hesitant while this one was hard and passionate. It was a mix of give and take, while each of them battled for control.

Breathless, Jane pulled back. Her eyes were darkened and he was sure his own gaze reflected his desire. She was breathing heavily and he almost groaned at the sight of her tongue darting out to wet her lips. An unspoken understanding passed between them. Not tonight-this was too important to be chalked down to a mix of emotions and confessions. She was still too vulnerable.

Silently, he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes, and leaned into his touch as they both pondered the revelations that had just occurred. Her eyes flickered open, and she placed her hand on top of his before slowly tangling their fingers.

"Stay," she asked softly. Apprehension returned to her features and he knew she was worried she had acted rashly. "Just hold me," she added as a smile broke out across his face. Scooping her into his arms, he nuzzled her neck as he carried her down the hall. Tonight, the demons would be kept away.


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm back! Okay, so there will probably only be one more chapter after this one. I don't want to draw it out too far, but I wanted to take the time to return them in almost new condition! I don't want the ending to be completely fluffy, because I think it'll ruin the tone of the story, but I do want them to have some closure! I welcome any ideas for anything you'd like to see in the final chapter! (Hint Hint) I'm not quite sure about this chapter. I'm worried it may be a little OOC, but I still enjoyed it! I definitely deleted it an rewrote scenes several times, but I think I'm pleased with how it turned out. **

**First off, a HUGE thank you to EBONY10 who took the time to review every chapter that was posted while she was away! Thank you so much! I really appreciated your feedback and comments about the story! Also, thank you to The Mentalist 149 who left an anonymous review for Chapter 18! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story, and thank you for you kind words! This chapter is dedicated to Shoppingluva, kathiann, and jocelyn who were some of the first reviewers ever to review any of my stories. Thanks for sticking with me!!!!**

**Thank you to: KATHIANN, SHOPPINGLUVA, TROMANA, JOCELYN, TIVA4EVA, BOTTLEOFSTARS, CATERINA, CHOCOLATEFAN, LALEZ, PENELOPE, KHALEK, WILDDAISIES, JELLOFANATIC, EBONY10, and JADESTAR! Thank you all!!!!!!**

Chapter 20

Patrick Jane was startled out of his sleep with a gasp as his usual bout of nightmares intruded into his dreams. He was amazed he had been able to fall asleep in the first place, but he chalked that up to the woman beside him. He shuddered as if trying to clear the gruesome images from his head. This time, however, there was a twist on his usual nightmare. Instead of his wife, he saw the blood red toenails of Teresa Lisbon. She was staring at him with sightless eyes and before he awoke, she whispered one word.

"You promised."

Trying to quell his racing heartbeat, he pulled the woman partially sprawled on top of him closer. The scent of her shampoo was reassuring, and he soon lost himself in the differences found in her bedroom. He hadn't realized how much he missed lying next to a woman. Her sheets were soft and them colors Lisbon selected gave the room a relaxing feel. It was her sanctuary. Listening to the steady sound of her breathing, he quickly fell into a dreamless sleep. Something that hadn't happened in years.

The next time Jane opened his eyes, sunlight was streaming across his face. It took him a moment to place his surroundings, when the events from the night before came crashing down around him. He sank into the soft bed and smiled at the brown curls that were splayed across his chest. Carefully brushing them out of her face, he stared at the sleeping woman that was using him as a pillow. Dragging his fingers down her bare arm, he smiled when she snuggled closer and he decided to just enjoy this peaceful moment.

The soft buzzing of a phone snapped him out of his reverie and he fumbled around the nightstand for the annoying technology. Trying not to jostle Lisbon, he managed to flip open the phone while keeping his other arm wrapped around her. He froze when she mumbled something unintelligible, and breathed a sigh of relief when she burrowed back into him. He assumed this was the first full night of sleep she had received since the murders.

"Hello?" he answered softly. There was a pause and Jane's brow furrowed. Pulling the phone back, he grimaced when he realized he had definitely answered Lisbon's phone. Well, that was one way for everyone to find out.

"Jane?"

"Minelli?" There was another pause and Jane was positive he could hear the director dissecting the situation.

"How is she?" Virgil Minelli finally asked. Jane had to give the man credit for sounding so smooth and unsurprised. That must be why the CBI paid him the big bucks. Jane glanced down and smiled at the woman in his arms.

"She's doing better. Yesterday was tough, but she slept through the night," he answered honestly. Minelli made a low hum in the back of his throat as if contemplating his next sentence.

"Don't bother coming in for the rest of the week, Jane. Make sure Teresa stays at home and rests. In fact, I'm putting the whole team on down time for the rest of the week." The CBI director said in a firm tone leaving Jane slightly surprised. "Oh, and just so you know, Charlie Lisbon will be arriving later today. I know she'll want to see him."

"Thanks," Jane replied softly as he hung up the phone.

Closing his eyes, he felt Lisbon begin to stir and was concerned when she immediately stiffened. He quickly opened her eyes to see her staring back at him with uncertainty. She had tugged her bottom lip in between her teeth and seemed to be building tension. Immediately, he knew what she was going to do. He quickly grabbed her wrists just as she started to pull away from him.

"Don't," he said. She began to tremble, but didn't fight back. Keeping a hold of her, he whispered for her to breathe and continued to hold her gaze. Gradually, he felt her relax and he loosened his grip.

"Jane?" she asked without meeting his gaze. He raised an eyebrow in a manner worthy of her own.

"Are you going to run?" he asked softly. She grumbled softly and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm in my own apartment," she stated, masking her anxiety with annoyance. "Where am I going to go?" He chuckled and released her. To his surprise she stayed beside him. "Are you going to make me breakfast?" she added with a pout as a smirk crept across his face. Leaning over her, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead before sliding out of bed.

"Stop thinking so much," he tossed over his shoulder as he strutted towards the kitchen. Shaking her head, she sunk back into her pillow with a sigh. Trying to ignore the worry and apprehension that she was making a mistake, she let a small smile out as she thought about the man currently in her kitchen. Maybe this could work. The question was did she want it to?

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Virgil Minelli meandered towards the bullpen with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. He knew he would find the rest of the Serious Crimes team hard at work even though it was the first thing in the morning. He was pleased at how well the group worked together, and honestly, their record spoke for itself. Granted, they were closer than other teams and they often used unconventional methods, but it worked for them. He was pleased to see them rebuilding confidence in trust in each other now that this case was closed.

"Take the rest of the week off," he announced. The three agents snapped to attention with a slight look of shock as they processed their newest order. "You three deserve some down time, so take a few days of paid leave." He started to exit and then turned to fix the group with an intense stare. "Good job," was all he said as he headed back to his office. Van Pelt opened her mouth as if to argue, but quickly thought better of it.

"Want to grab lunch?" Cho asked spontaneously as the three agents exchanged a baffled look. Rigsby's eyes brightened and Van Pelt stifled a grin.

"Sounds good to me," the redhead replied as they collected their things and headed to the parking lot.

"You think she's okay?" Rigsby asked with his mouth half full of French fries. Van Pelt shot him a disgusted look, and the agent quickly swallowed with an apologetic look.

"I feel like we missed something," Van Pelt added as she studied her colleagues. Cho met their stare evenly.

"It's up to the boss to disclose anything else that happened," Cho said. He paused and allowed a look of regret to cross his face. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Van Pelt." He was still feeling guilty about not trusting Jane even with Van Pelt's observation that there was more to the story than Jane was telling. He knew it would be awhile before he would feel atoned of his mistakes.

"You don't have to take all of the blame. We all failed Lisbon and Jane this time," she said sadly. She knew neither the boss nor the consultant would hold it against them, but she knew the three of them would make every possible effort to repair the rifts. "I'm going to see if the boss wants us to bring her lunch," Grace said as she pulled out her phone.

"Hey boss…Jane? Why are you answering Lisbon's phone?" She mumbled a few more sentences, while Cho and Rigsby looked on in amusement. The younger agent's face had gone from pleased to completely baffled to smug in all of thirty seconds. She quickly said goodbye, and turned to the others with a smirk.

"I think she's going to be okay."

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Lisbon gingerly pulled on a fitted t-shirt and a loose pair of yoga pants while Jane cleaned up the kitchen. Running a brush through her tangled hair, she frowned when the doorbell rang. Padding to her front door, she carefully unlocked the door and was frozen at the sight of her baby brother framed in the doorway. They stood in silence, each drinking in the sight of the other when suddenly Charlie bounded through the door in one step and pulled his sister close.

He instantly released her when she winced, and before she knew it, he had the hem of her shirt raised. His eyes widened at the sight of the raised stitches trailing across her stomach. She quickly pulled her t-shirt down as Charlie's eyes narrowed in anger as he continued to take in the battered appearance of his sister. She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him gently.

"Hey Charlie boy," she whispered while tucking her head under his chin.

"Oh, Tess," was all he replied as she tried to hide her tears in his shirt. "Oh, Tess."


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, now this is bittersweet! I can't believe this story is over. Sigh-all good things must come to an end though. I do feel like this has ended appropriately, and it ended up being a little fluffier than I thought. I think y'all will enjoy it! This is also the longest chapter I have ever written and I hope it does the story justice! At the moment, I'm considering doing a sequel to Through the Looking Glass as my next big story. I'm going to wait until after the next episode though (so excited!) I'll probably write a short fic for the October JelloForever challenge, and ruminate over my next story…Hahahahahaha. Ruminate. Such a fun word!**

**And now, I have several people that deserve some special thanks. These people really helped make Mighty what it is through reviews, messages, e-mails. Basically they're all wonderful!**

**TROMANA- Twin, I don't know what to say! Who knew this story would lead into a wonderful friendship as we started to realize all our crazy similarities! Thank you for all your suggestions, comments, words of encouragement, and random messages. Hugs, loves, and PG Tips and cheddar goldfish!**

**LILSMILES-I bet you never guessed when you started the JelloForever forum that it would grow so uch! Thank you for organizing the best Mentalist Jane/Lisbon forum. It's been a great inspiration, and it's been so much fun getting to know everyone! Hugs!**

**EBONY10-I'm so glad you're back and writing again! Your stories are always an inspiration and help hold me to a high standard of writing. It's been wonderful getting to know a fellow artist and I greatly enjoy our conversations!**

**TIVA4EVA-Thank you for leaving probably the most enthusiastic reviews I've ever received all the time! Your excitement has been contagious and made me really want to post faster and write quicker. Thanks for all the kind words and funny stories, and just wonderful comments!**

**I really wish I had the time to thank everyone who's ever reviewed. Y'all don't know (unless you're writers too!) how much it means to have such loyal readers! I love hearing your thoughts and appreciate every comment! Thank you!**

**Thank you Mr. Heller for creating such a wonderful show that has really inspired me. I have enjoyed playing with your characters, and I guess I'll give them back now. They're mostly good as new!**

**A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Y'all have really made my day! Thank you so much! KHALEK, MWALTER, NELLIE, PHEONIXWYTCH, CHOCOLATEFAN, EBONY10, LALEZ, TROMANA, SHOPPINGLUVA, JOCELYN, KATHIANN, WILDDAISIES, CATERINA, JADESTAR, and TIVA4EVA.**

**All you lurkers out there, please let me know any final thoughts on the story! Now is your chance! Thanks for taking the time to read!**

Chapter 21

Teresa Lisbon was slightly surprised to find herself enveloped in her brother's warm hug. A strangled sob escaped from her clenched jaw when he began to mutter reassuring words while gently rubbing her back. It was a gesture faintly reminiscent of what she used to do for him and Ben when they had been younger, and that brief memory made her lower her walls even more as she started to tremble. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Charlie should hate her for what happened to Jeremy.

She wasn't sure how long they stood framed in the doorway when a loud noise from the kitchen startled them both. Charlie pulled away and looked around her apartment warily. He began to catalog the small details he had missed when he first arrived. He had been too concerned with comforting his sister to notice a man's jacket strewn over the armrest of the couch. Locking the door, he noticed a pair of large dress shoes neatly tucked away in the entry way.

Turning, he raised an eyebrow when he met his sister's gaze with a smirk as a faint blush began to creep up her face. Her red rimmed eyes sparkled as she shot a brief glance towards the kitchen before letting out an exasperated sigh. Charlie was sure there was a hint of something else mixed with exasperation, but he knew better that to push. Well, he wouldn't push it just yet, he decided as he watched her lean against the kitchen doorway.

He watched as she smiled and released the tension pent up inside her body. Her shoulders lifted and he heard a male voice mutter what sounded like an apology, or maybe it was an excuse. With a lingering smile on her face, she gestured for Charlie to join her. Charlie laughed out loud when he spotted a lanky blond man sprawled across the kitchen floor looking at them both with a mixture of chagrin and sheepishness. The man's eyes flickered back over to his sister, and Charlie wondered just what exactly he had walked into.

"Hey Lisbon, did you know your sink leaks?" he drawled out, making no effort to get up. Charlie caught his sister's brief eye roll and instantly took a liking to the man who called Teresa by her last name.

"I do believe that's why there was a towel in front of it," she retorted and pointed to the towel he had previously used to wipe off another section of the floor.

"Ahhhh," he said as he lifted his head. "You must be Charlie. I'm Patrick Jane." Charlie's eyes switched between his sister and the man on the floor as details started to fall in place.

"You're Jane?" he asked with a hint of incredulous surprise. The blond man grinned before finally rising to his feet while Lisbon just shook her head in amusement.

"Expecting someone more female?" Jane replied. Charlie smiled and held out his hand. The two men shook before they made their way back to the living room. Charlie didn't miss Jane's closeness to his sister or the way his eyes carefully inventoried her condition every few seconds. Catching him off guard, Jane winked at him and Charlie knew he had been caught.

Jane carefully maneuvered her until she was sitting beside him. With a small smile, Charlie sank into the oversized armchair across from them. Once seated, Lisbon's eyes darted suspiciously between the two men before resting on Jane who was the most likely instigator. Satisfied he would behave for now, she turned her attention to her brother who was watching them with interest.

"How's Emma?" Teresa asked. Charlie smiled at the thought of his wife.

"She's doing okay. She's spending some time with her parents. Witness Protection shook her up a bit, but she handled everything just fine." He noticed his sister's face fall slightly, and wasn't surprised to see Jane grasp her hand. What did surprise him was that she let him. "She was worried about you. Insisted I came check up on you," he said with a comforting smile as he took in his sister's haggard appearance.

"I…," Lisbon began. Charlie quickly cut her off.

"Tess, you don't owe me an explanation. When you're ready to talk about it, we'll talk, but I know you did everything you could. Emma and I don't blame you." Charlie watched as his sister slowly regained control over her emotions while Jane continued to brush his thumb over her hand.

"How long are you in town for?" Jane asked, carefully shifting the conversation away from the traumatic events of the last few days. Charlie studied the man in front of him before giving him an small nod of appreciation.

"I figured I'd camp out for a few days. I'm staying in a hotel not too far from here."

"Nonsense! You're welcome to stay here," Lisbon interjected. Charlie almost missed the brief glance the two shared. He hid a smile.

"Sorry, Tess. You snore," he said with a smile. If Jane was staying where he suspected there was no way he was going to intrude in his sister's personal life. He predicted the man beside her would help her recover more than anyone else. "Besides, the CBI's put me up in this awesome suite for my trouble. There's no way I'm missing out on that!" Lisbon grudgingly nodded and Charlie caught the faint hint of a smile on Jane's face. He knew the other man had figured out his ploy. Hopefully, Teresa hadn't seen through his charade as well.

"Well, let us at least take you out for dinner!" Jane exclaimed positively. "Do you want to invite the rest of the team?" Jane asked Lisbon. Her brow furrowed for a moment before she gave slight nod. "It's settled then. We'll leave in two hours." Charlie had to smile at the man's contagious excitement.

"We'll pick you up, Charlie boy," Teresa said as she carefully stood. Both men caught the slight wince she tried to hide. She shot them both a glare. "I'm going to shower and change," she said as she headed towards the hallway. Before exiting, she turned and stared intensely at Jane. "Behave," she threatened and Charlie stifled a chuckle.

"How bad was it?" Charlie asked seriously when they heard the shower start.

"Bad," Jane answered with a grimace as he studied Lisbon's brother. The man was tall and broad with a curly mop of red hair. At first glance he resembled Van Pelt rather than Lisbon. Looking closer, it was easy to see the small similarities between the man in front of him and the petite brunette in the other room. They had the same eyes he noticed-sharp and intelligent yet always conveying emotion.

"I know what happened. Minelli briefed me," Charlie stated. Jane was tempted to avert his eyes, but managed to hold Charlie's gaze. He hoped the guilt and remorse he felt would be enough for Charlie to forgive him for what happened to Lisbon. Charlie's gaze softened. He could physically see the self-flagellation Jane was putting himself through.

"You're just as bad as she is," Charlie commented wryly. Jane smiled a half smile, a little more at ease. At least one brother acted logically. "I know what Ben did, and even though he was grieving, he had no right…" Charlie trailed off before meeting Jane's eyes once more. "That being said, if you hurt her, so help me god…"

"It would kill me," Jane commented softly. The two sat in silence for several minutes. "She means everything to me."

"You do realize I can hear you," Lisbon called out.

The two men jumped before fixing her with guilty expressions. Clutching a towel to her body, she had stuck her head out of the door with a slightly annoyed and amused expression. Her damp hair cascaded down her shoulder before she rolled her eyes and slammed the door. A few seconds later, they could hear her hairdryer. Charlie glanced back to Jane and laughed. The man still looked shell-shocked after the sight of a towel-clad Teresa had been imprinted on his mind, and he knew he had nothing to worry about.

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Wayne Rigsby sighed in happiness when they entered the restaurant. They had chosen to meet Lisbon, Jane, and Charlie at a local seafood that specialized in fresh seafood at good prices. Coincidently, it was one of Rigsby's favorite restaurants. Placing his hand gently on Grace's lower back, he nervously ushered her in and pulled out her chair while Cho rolled his eyes.

"You gonna pull my chair out too?" the Asian man asked. Rigsby stuttered as he tried to formulate an answer while Grace glared at Cho. Placing their drink orders, they sat in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Do you ever think we'll get back to the way things were?" Grace asked. They shared a look without daring to answer as they contemplated on their own personal guilt. Grace sighed and wondered if the outcome would have been different if she hadn't been so open with Lewis. She knew she'd have a long road ahead of her in order to regain her boss' respect and trust. She jumped when Rigsby softly placed his hand on hers. Smiling up at him, she decided maybe she didn't want things to go back exactly the way they were.

The front door opened and they all turned to face the small group heading toward them. The first thing Van Pelt noticed was how little space was between Lisbon and Jane. Their hands brushed occasionally while they continued to carry on an unheard conversation. Remembering the phone call earlier, Grace smiled and caught Rigsby's eye. It was easy to see the other two agents had immediately picked up on the change between their boss and the consultant. A tall red haired man followed behind them with a pleasant smile on his face. They all did a slight double take when the man came up beside their boss.

"This is Charlie," Lisbon said as the other agents introduced themselves. Sliding in beside Jane, Lisbon glanced through the menu and took a minute to appreciate the people around her. She could feel Jane's concerned gaze on her, and she quickly flashed him a reassuring smile. Neither noticed the others exchange a quick smile at their furtive look.

Pleasant conversation was exchanged while they ate, and each person started to feel a sense of normalcy return. Excusing herself, Lisbon stood and made her way to the restroom. Van Pelt wanted to laugh at Charlie and Jane's eyes followed her every movement and she wondered if her boss knew just how protective the men in her life were. Smiling, she quickly excused herself and followed her boss to the ladies room.

Lisbon wasn't surprised to find her rookie following her. They were overdue for a quick discussion, anyway. The poor girl looked so nervous and guilty that Lisbon wondered just how she had managed to collect a team of people who internalized their guilt. She was sure the odds were astronomical. Throwing a quick smile over her shoulder, Lisbon was relieved to find the bathroom empty.

"Van Pelt?" she question softly. The red head was unable to meet her gaze and Lisbon reached out and briefly placed her hand on the younger woman's arm.

"Boss, I'm so sorry. I know it's my fault those details were leaked and I want to promise that I'll go above and beyond to regain your respect. You have no reason to trust me, and I understand if you'd like me transferred." Lisbon was shocked at the tumbled speech that rushed out of the other agent's mouth. Her gaze softened as Van Pelt finally met her gaze.

"Grace." Van Pelt flinched as if she was expecting the earth to crumble before her. Lisbon rarely used first names, and she was sure it could only mean bad news. "It's not your fault. There was nothing any of us could have done. We all missed the signs. Now calm down. You aren't going anywhere. Things may be a little rough at first, but I'm positive we'll get back on our feet."

Van Pelt huffed a sigh of relief before smiling blindly at her role model before exiting the bathroom. Facing the mirror, Lisbon glared at the black circles barely visible under her eyes. She still had the faint bruising covering her eye. She was a mess. Splashing some cold water on her face, she steadied her thoughts and was about to reach for the door when it suddenly swung open and Patrick Jane swiftly entered and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" she protested as he shot her an intense look. Her eyes widened as he took a step closer and she found herself cornered against the sink. She opened her mouth to argue when he pulled her close and wrapped her in a tight hug. Sighing in defeat, she relaxed into his grasp with a shake of her head.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he whispered against her hair. "I just need you to know that I'm here for you, and I'll wait as long as it takes."

"And you had to tell me this in the ladies restroom?" she retorted. He chuckled and she could feel the warmth spread throughout her whole body. This was right. "Did you meant what you said?" she asked out of the blue. Noticing his puzzled expression she continued. "What you said to Charlie."

"Every word, Teresa. Every word."

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She closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic crashing of the waves as the sun beat down above. She could feel the slight burn on her skin, and wondered how long she had been out here. Stretching, she wiggled her toes in the sand, enjoying the course grittiness that surrounded her feet. A seagull chirped in the distance and she breathed in the salty sea air as the wind, once again, ripped through her hair.

She smiled when she felt fingers tangle in her own. Opening her eyes, she glanced at the man beside her and realized once more just how thankful she was that he was a part of her life. It had been four months since her sister in law and nephew were murdered, and she was slowly stated to get better. It had been a rough time, and she was honestly surprised that Jane had stuck with her through her tantrums and arguments, especially after she was forced to talk to yet another psychologist about her feelings.

This time, she had found a well-respected female doctor who truly listened and offered wise advice in return. She had been cleared weeks ago, but still continued to arrange biweekly visits. She found it was helpful to get an outside perspective on several decisions in her life and she had really enjoyed having a neutral party to talk to, especially one that wasn't trying to kill her.

Jane slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he smiled when she leaned back against him. They stood in silence as they took in the scenery. Jane was relieved that she was able to relax and enjoy herself while she faced one of her most painful memories. His thoughts flickered back to that day on this very beach, and he wondered where he's be now if he hadn't found her in time. Shaking his head to clear the unwanted memories, he pulled her tighter and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly. Her eyes narrowed as a playful smirk crossed his face. She could feel his head turn, and his lips barely brushed her ear. It was enough to send a shiver down to her toes.

"Race ya," he whispered before releasing her and taking over. Stumbling in confusion, her eyes sparkled as he turned around to face her from several feet away. Backlit by the sun, he took her breath away. She was determined to make new memories to replace the old, and she was slowly starting to heal. Curling her toes into the sand once more, she leapt towards him with a grin.

"You're on."

_The End._


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